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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824884">Marriage is not always easy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessConsumesMe/pseuds/DarknessConsumesMe'>DarknessConsumesMe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Arguing, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Improving Relationship, Married Couple, Married Couple With Children, Modern Era, Possible smut, Relationship Problems, Romance, Various Races, coping with problems, no magic, problem solving, unhappy wife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:53:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824884</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessConsumesMe/pseuds/DarknessConsumesMe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaina and Arthas are married for ten years, have two wonderful children, have well-paid jobs and live in a wonderful house. They should be happier than ever but that’s not always the case. They have more problems than they want to admit and the fact that Arthas works overtime and is rarely at home is only the tip of the iceberg.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arthas Menethil/Jaina Proudmoore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The street noises were unmistakable. Despite this late hour, the traffic was still heavy. Cars, motorcycles, lorries, buses and trams were driving through the streets of this part of the city. Squeaking noises, which occurred when wet tyres slid over the slippery asphalt, echoed through the air and hurt her ears. These vehicles beeped their horns, braked loudly or caused other annoying noises. The noises of traffic were unbearable.</p>
<p>Jaina Menethil wished she could cover her ears with her hands and make these noises stop but she couldn't because none of her hands were free. Her left hand held the hand of her son while the other rested on the back of her daughter who she held in her arm. Her two years old daughter pressed herself tightly against her, her head leaned on her shoulder.</p>
<p>Jaina couldn't prevent these annoying noises from ringing in her ears nor could she stop the rain from falling down on her and her children. At least Uther and Jasime wore waterproof clothes. Rain ponchos with hoods that protected their heads. Unlike their mother, they didn't get wet. Jaina had made the mistake to not look at the weather report before she had left the house to pick up her children from nursery and primary school. The only reason her children wore waterproof clothes was because their father had read the weather report for that day and for the following days before he had brought them to their schools.</p>
<p>Jaina had not put on the right clothes for the weather and now she had to pay the price for that mistake. Her clothes were soaking wet, so was her blonde hair which stuck to her head. Her skin could be partly seen through her white blouse and her middle-length skirt, which reached to her knees. She could only hope that her underwear could not be seen. That would be very embarrassing. But Jaina had worse problems than that at the moment.</p>
<p>Her blue high heels made it almost impossible to make quick steps as long as the ground was wet. She hardly got out of the spot. She was shivering, the rain ran down her neck and even over her back. Her lips were blue because of the cold, her bottom lip was trembling. She might catch a cold if she wouldn't get rid of her wet clothes soon. But there was no way for her to change.</p>
<p>The only place where she could change was her house but she was not even close to it. She was in an urban fringe district while her house was in the city centre. She would have to travel for at least one hour by car or for two hours by bus. She was certain she would catch a cold which could mean that she might infect her children sooner or later. She didn't want that to happen but there was nothing she could do about that. At least not at this very moment.</p>
<p>"I'm feeling cold mommy," whined Uther.</p>
<p>Jaina turned her head to look at her eight-year-old son, noticing that his face was wet and he was shivering a little. She softly ran her thumb over his knuckles. "Our uber should arrive at any minute, sweetheart. You will feel much warmer once we are in the car. Stay patient."</p>
<p>"But I want the cold to stop now," he responded defiantly.</p>
<p>Worry was reflected by Jaina's facial expression. "I can't change things, sweetheart. If I could make the cold disappear, I would have already done that. You will feel much warmer soon. Promised."</p>
<p>"Why doesn't dad pick us up?" Uther asked.</p>
<p>"Your dad is still working. He has much to do today, so he won't be able to pick us up," Jaina replied, remembering the message she got from Arthas an hour ago.</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm sorry, babe. I can't pick you up because there is so much work to do today. One of my co-workers reported himself sick, so I have to do the work he would have done today. I told Falric to pick you up. He will be there in an hour.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sorry for leaving you in the lurch. Again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you. *heart*</em>
</p>
<p>"Dad is always busy," remarked Jasmine. She had the voice of an angel.</p>
<p>Jaina sighed out. "I know, princess. I know. Your dad has important work to do. Very important work."</p>
<p>"I haven't seen him for three days," replied the blonde two-year-old.</p>
<p>"In the past weeks, dad often comes home when you are already sleeping. I wish I could change things but I can't. If your father could change things he would. He doesn't want to be apart from you but he has no other choice. His work is very important."</p>
<p>Jasmine said nothing in return, she just merely nodded. Jaina drifted off in thoughts. Thought about her children and her husband. But she wasn't allowed to stay long in her thoughts. The loud horn of a car brought her back to reality. She turned her head to the left, noticing the black car that stood at the roadside.</p>
<p>For the first time of the past hour, a smile appeared on her lips as she saw the familiar man getting out of the car. He wore a black hat and a black suit, his face didn't hide his age. He was sixty years old, his skin was creasy and his hair was grey. He looked very fit for his age and was very fast. He passed the distance between the car and Jaina in mere seconds and took Jaina's daughter out of her arm before she could do anything about it. He brought her to the car quickly and Uther followed him. Jaina walked as fast as her high heels allowed it, arriving at the car half a minute later.</p>
<p>"Get in here really quickly, MsJaina. I don't want you to get wetter than you already are," said the man.</p>
<p>Jaina didn't hesitate to get in and sat down on the towel the man had put there for her.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Falric. You are our saviour. My car didn't want to start, Arthas is still working and you know how full the trams and buses are at this hour. I wouldn't know what I would do without you. I don't want to imagine how late we would arrive at home if we would travel by public transport.</p>
<p>Falric turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder as soon as he sat on the driver's seat. A smile could be seen on his lips. "No problem, Ms Jaina. I help whenever I can. Even if your husband wouldn't have asked me to pick you up, I still would have done it if you would have called me."</p>
<p>"I'm glad I can always count on you, Falric. I don't want to imagine what I would do without you at this moment."</p>
<p>"You would have probably ordered a taxi."</p>
<p>"They would have needed much longer than you to get to this place," said Jaina as she made sure both of her children were sitting strapped on their child safety seats. She sat between them and put the seat belt around her waist and right shoulder, looking at her children who were smiling at her. She returned their smiles, dried her hands with another towel before she caressed the heads of her children. She watched them silently when she dried her hair.</p>
<p>"You can put the wet towel on the car mats. I will pick them up later. You can also leave the towel, you are sitting on, on the seat."</p>
<p>"Wouldn't that be bad for the leather?"</p>
<p>"Even if, I can exchange the leather seats. Your husband is the one who pays the bill for the company cars. Even if this would be my car, I wouldn't mind. It's not that I'm lacking money. Your husband pays me very well. These days, I earn more money than when his father had led the company. Terenas was a good man but he was miserly. He only paid what he had to. Despite that, he was a wonderful boss. God bless his soul."</p>
<p>"Arthas only wants the best for his co-workers," replied Jaina.</p>
<p>"Indeed," said Falric. "He is a good boss."</p>
<p>Nobody said a word or made a noise in the next ten minutes. Not even her children. They sat silently in their seats, Uther looked out of the window while Jasmine sucked her thumb. She replaced it later with her mother's thumb, making sure she didn't bite her accidentally. Jaina smiled at her and caressed her cheek, looking out of the window a few minutes later. It had become much darker outside but the streets and the pavements were illuminated by street lamps. Unfortunately, there were still too many vehicles on the streets, so they weren't as fast as they had hoped.</p>
<p>Jaina looked at her watch when they finally reached the city centre. It was twenty-one o'clock. Usually, her children would already be in bed but due to the car incident, they will go to bed much later. Jaina was glad that they already ate. That way, she only had to bath them and dry their hair before she would tuck them in their beds. Things would be much easier if Arthas would be home but she doubted that. It was not unlikely that he will come home around midnight. Just like the past three days.</p>
<p>"Did you call the breakdown service already?" Falric asked after a while.</p>
<p>"I did. They said they would pick it up as soon as they can. They will inform me once they fixed the problem."</p>
<p>"Let's hope they will fix it soon."</p>
<p>"I have another car which I can use. It's smaller than the other car but it does its job. I don't really care how expensive my car is as long as it brings me from one place to another," replied Jaina.</p>
<p>"I like big cars. Big cars with loud engines. My company car is a silent one but my private car is a machine. I love it when it roars loudly whenever I start it or when I really step on the gas," explained the older man.</p>
<p>"I prefer quiet cars. Arthas is different. He also likes loud cars."</p>
<p>"Indeed, he does. Anyway, we are almost there, Ms Jaina."</p>
<p>Jaina sighed out in relief as the car turned off into the familiar street. They passed familiar houses until they came to their destination. A large house that was made of red bricks. It was not too large but not too small either. It was an old Victorian house with two floors, the roof was covered by black tiles.</p>
<p>There were lots of expensive decorative elements in the front garden which was not that small either. It was safe to say that living in that house cost a lot of money but Jaina's family had enough money. Jaina liked the look of the house, the only objection she had was that it was too big for her liking. They didn't really need all rooms on both floors nor did they need such a huge front garden. The size of the backyard was perfect. The kids had enough space to play.</p>
<p>As beautiful as the house was, it causes a lot of work. Cleaning, hoovering, tending the plants in the front garden and much more. Sometimes everything was too much for Jaina. She had to take care of the kids, do housework, go shopping so that they had something to eat and many other tasks.</p>
<p>Often, she didn't have much time for herself once she was done with everything. Often, she was so tired after all the housework that she went straight to bed. She rarely had the time to pursue her own interests and do something she loved to do. If only they had nannies. Her daily life would be much easier if someone would help her. But Arthas didn't want to have strangers in his house, so Jaina had to do everything alone.</p>
<p>As soon as the engine stopped, Jaina turned to Jasmine and unbuckled her, taking her out of her seat. She wrapped her arm around the girl's back, pressing her against herself. Jaina opened the right car door with the other hand, climbing out of the vehicle. She walked to the other side of the car, waiting until no car was in her sight and opened the door, allowing Uther to climb out. She closed the door and waved at Falric who looked at her through the car's left outside mirror. He turned his head and smiled at her, signalizing her that it was a pleasure for him to escort her and her children.</p>
<p>Jaina waved him goodbye and walked to the pavement, her gaze rested on Falric's car for a few moments before it wandered to the house. She heard the roaring of the engine, knowing that Falric would drive away at any moment. The car was almost out of her sight when she looked at it again.</p>
<p>Jaina checked her surroundings when she walked to the garden gate. It was much darker than before, the only sources of light were the street lanterns and the illuminated windows of the neighbour houses. The windows of Jaina's house were dark. She was not able to see much of the front garden until she had passed the first half of the path. The lights of the veranda turned on as the motion sensor detected the movement of Jaina and her son.</p>
<p>Jaina took her bunch of keys out of her pocket, cursing silently as it slipped out her hand. Fortunately, Uther picked it up and gave it to her so that she didn't have to bend down. "Thank you, big man," Jaina said and put the right key into the keyhole. Uther smiled at her but said nothing. He didn't even say anything when his mother tried to open the door without success.</p>
<p>"Why must this damn door always jam," Jaina cursed louder this time. "I told Arthas ten times to fix the door or at least hire someone to fix it."</p>
<p>Jaina got to her knees and set Jasmine on the floor. The girl looked at Jaina with big eyes, her hands pointed at her. Jasmine wanted to get in her mother's arm again. "Give me a moment, princess. I have to open the door first and then I will lift you up again as soon as we took off your wet clothes."</p>
<p>The girl merely nodded. Jaina stood up again and pressed her body against the door when she pressed the door-handle down again and turned the key to the right. She pressed harder, opening the door after a minute. She sighed out in relief as the door swung open. She turned her head and looked at her children who didn't hesitate to enter the house.</p>
<p>Jaina checked her surroundings once again, noticing that it was raining much heavier than before. She turned off the light of the veranda and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Her son had already turned on the light and started to take off his rain poncho. Jasmine, on the other hand, struggled to take off her pink rain poncho.</p>
<p>"Let me help you, princess," Jaina said softly as she stepped to her daughter and bent down, opening one button after the other. She helped her to remove her boots and her pair of trousers, noticing that the clothes beneath were dry. The poncho and the pair of trousers had served their purpose. Jasmine's hair was as dry as the pink pair of tights and the pink pullover she wore. Uther's hair and clothes were dry too.</p>
<p>She looked at Uther. "Will you go with your sister to the living room and wait there for me? I will make your bath ready in the meantime."</p>
<p>"I will."</p>
<p>Jaina smiled and caressed his head. "Thank you, sweetheart." She watched Uther taking his sister's hand and guiding her to the living room. Jaina went straight to the bathroom and put the wet clothes on the radiator. She turned it on the highest level and then walked over to the bathtub, turning it on. She put a few drops of their favourite bubble bath shampoo in the tub and then walked to the washbasin to wash her hands.</p>
<p>She lifted her head to look in the mirror, noticing that her skin was paler than usual. Her makeup was runny so that the dark circles beneath her eyes could be slightly seen. She removed the makeup and ran her fingers through her hair that was still wet from the rain. She untied the knots and then removed her wet clothes, putting them on the radiator. She even had to remove her underwear because it was also soaked.</p>
<p>She regarded her reflection in the mirror. Despite the facts that she was thirty-seven years old and had given birth to two children, she was still very attractive. She was satisfied with her body. There was only one thing that bothered her sometimes. Her breasts. They were too large for her liking.</p>
<p>They had the perfect size in matters of look but they were causing her back problems. They were too big and heavy for her back. Her back couldn't handle her d-cups. It was hurting from time to time and always at the wrong moments. They were a burden from time to time but she didn't want to make them smaller, knowing that Arthas loved them the way they were.</p>
<p>A quiet sigh escaped Jaina's lips as she pulled a towel from the towel rack and wrapped it around her body. She walked back to the tub, putting her hand in the water to feel the temperature. It was perfect. She left the bathroom without hesitation, walking to the living room. Her children were sitting on the settee, Jasmine was playing with her dolls while Uther read a book. They looked up as soon as they noticed the presence of their mother, their lips formed happy smiles.</p>
<p>"The bath is ready," Jaina said.</p>
<p>The kids jumped up from the settee and ran over to the bathroom, entering it without hesitation. Jaina followed them quickly and helped Jasmine to remove her remaining clothes. She lifted her into the tub and handed Jasmine her favourite bath toy. A unicorn with a rainbow-coloured mane. Uther's favourite bath toy was a lion with a brown mane. Watching her kids playing together made her forget all the things she had to worry about.</p>
<p>She could watch them forever but she knew that they had to go to bed as fast as possible. They didn't seem tired but they still needed their sleep. Especially Jasmine needed much more sleep than her brother. As much as she loved to watch them, she had to make their bath quick as possible. Jasmine and Uther were not happy when their mother told them that they would have to leave the tub in a few minutes but they accepted it. Uther knew that they were already longer awake than they allowed to so he didn't protest. Nor did Jasmine.</p>
<p>Jaina washed their hair and then dried them with towels.</p>
<p>"Mommy?" Uther asked innocently.</p>
<p>Jaina looked at him. "Yes, big man?"</p>
<p>He turned his head and checked his surroundings. "Where are my pyjamas?"</p>
<p>"And where are mine?" asked Jasmine.</p>
<p>Jaina searched the room but she didn't find them. She realized quickly that she had forgotten them. "They are still in your rooms. Wait here while I get them. Do not move away or do anything else."</p>
<p>They nodded at her.</p>
<p>Jaina hurried out of the bathroom, crossed the living room and reached the staircase to the second floor. She climbed the staircase, left the bordering corridor behind and arrived in front of Uther's room. She entered the room and walked to the other side, making sure that she didn't step on any of his toys that were spread all over the floor. She was still barefoot which meant that stepping on one of these toys would be quite painful. She avoided them successfully, reaching Uther's wardrobe without hurting herself. She took out his favourite pyjamas, the one with a toy knight printed on the chest, and walked back to the door.</p>
<p>She went to Jasmine's room which was completely tidy. She took her favourite pyjamas, which had a unicorn as a motif, out of her wardrobe and left the room quickly. She went down the stairs back to the bathroom, finding her children back in the bathtub. Despite the fact that they had not listened to her, Jaina couldn't be mad at them. They looked so cute with these innocent looks on their faces and Jaina was too tired and exhausted to argue with them.</p>
<p>She said nothing as she lifted Jasmine out of the tub and dried her again, doing the same with Uther. Jasmine was the only one who needed help with her pyjamas.</p>
<p>"It's bedtime, little ones. Prepare yourselves," Jaina said after she had watched them brushing their teeth.</p>
<p>"Can't we stay up a little longer, mommy?" Jasmine asked with big eyes.</p>
<p>Jaina chuckled and caressed her head. "You are already up much longer than you should. It's time to sleep, princess."</p>
<p>Jasmine sulked. "I don't want to go to bed now."</p>
<p>"If you will stay up longer, you will be very tired tomorrow. You will fall asleep in nursery school if you don't get enough sleep. You will miss playing with your friends. Do you want that?"</p>
<p>Jasmine shook her head quickly. "No."</p>
<p>Jaina chuckled again. "See. If you want to be awake enough tomorrow to play with your friends, you have to go to bed now, princess."</p>
<p>Jasmine nodded. Jaina wrapped an arm around her and lifted her up, taking Uther's hand. Together they went to the staircase and climbed it, arriving on the second floor.</p>
<p>"You can already go to your room, Uther. I will come to you as soon as I brought your sister to bed."</p>
<p>Uther nodded. "Okay, mommy," he said before he went to his room. Jaina watched him entering, then she brought Jasmine to her room and laid her in her bed. She pulled her pink blanket above her tiny body, caressing her cheeks carefully.</p>
<p>"Can I hear a bedtime story before you leave?"</p>
<p>Jaina looked at the clock above the door frame. It was shortly past twenty-two o'clock. She looked back at her daughter who looked at her with puppy eyes. It was hard to say no Jasmine when she had that look on her face. Not to mention that Jaina was too tired to argue.</p>
<p>"Fine but only a short one."</p>
<p>"YESS!" Jasmine yelled excited.</p>
<p>The little girl was deeply asleep when Jaina finished the story. She put the book on the bedside table, leaning over her daughter to press a soft kiss on her forehead. She regarded her for a few moments before she pulled the blanket over her body again and walked to the exit. She turned off the light, quietly closed the door behind herself and went to Uther's room.</p>
<p>She found him asleep in his bed, his arms were wrapped around his brown teddy bear, his head rested on his pillow. A small smile could be seen on Jaina's lips when she walked over to him and covered him up with his blue blanket. She kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair, regarding him for a few minutes. He was muttering in his sleep but Jaina was not able to understand any single word. He looked so cute when he was sleeping. Like an angel.</p>
<p>She turned off the light once she was done regarding him and left his room, closing the door. She went back to the bathroom, finding out that the water had gotten cooler in the meantime. She turned the water on and waited until it was warm enough for her liking. She put her glasses on the washbasin and the towel on the towel rack. She set a foot in the water which pleasantly warm temperature made her skin tingle in anticipation. She set the other foot in the water and slowly lowered her body until she sat in the tub. She closed her eyes and welcomed the comfortable warmth.</p>
<p>She leaned back and put her head on the left end of the tub, stretching her legs out. She had needed this so badly. A bath was all she needed at this very moment. She had a very stressful day, so she wanted nothing more than just relax. The bath had the desired effect. It allowed her to relax and forget all of her worries. Her job which could be stressful sometimes, her insufferable mother and the problems she had with her husband. She forgot about the recent arguments they had and just thought about the good things in her life. Her children, the book she was currently writing and many other things.</p>
<p>Jaina took her time to relax. She washed her hair with her favourite shampoo and made sure that there was no hair on her body besides the hair on her head. She allowed herself to relax for a few more minutes after she was done shaving, knowing that she had to leave the tub soon. She didn't want to leave it because she felt so comfortable but she knew she had to. She was still hungry and she also wanted to continue with her book.</p>
<p>She needed longer than expected to motivate herself to get out of the tub but she did it in the end and that was all that mattered. She grabbed the towel she had previously used to cover herself and wrapped it around her body again. She used a hairdryer to get her hair so dry that it no longer dripped. She combed her hair, set her glasses back on her nose and left the bathroom after she had let the water out and rinsed the bathtub.</p>
<p>She went to her and Arthas' room, which was also on the second floor just like the rooms of their children, and took one of her pyjamas out her wardrobe. A blue shirt with short sleeves and a blue pair of shorts. She put on socks as well and went back to the ground floor.</p>
<p>She went straight to the kitchen and made herself something to eat. Her dinner consisted of nothing more than a few slices of bread with cheese as topping and slices of cucumber and tomato as a side dish. The meal was tasty but it didn't quite satisfy her hunger. Nevertheless, she didn't eat more. She was on a diet so she didn't want to eat more. She liked her body the way it was at the moment, so she didn't want to gain weight. She was used to feeling hungry from time to time and she had enough willpower to not eat more than her diet allowed.</p>
<p>Jaina put the used plate and knife in the dishwasher and the cheese and the vegetables back in the fridge before she went into the living room. A loud sigh escaped her lips as she dropped herself on the settee. She did nothing but sitting there for a few minutes, looking at the clock eventually. It was nearly midnight. Jaina realized that she had spent more time in the bathtub than she had wanted. Jaina knew she had to go to bed to guarantee that she would get enough sleep but she wanted to write for a little at least.</p>
<p>She turned on the laptop on the coffee table in front of her and began to write. Only when she heard the sound of a key getting put in a keyhole, she averted her gaze from the screen. A few moments later she heard the door being opened. She had no doubt that Arthas just got home. There was no one except for Jaina's younger brother and Arthas' older sister who had spare keys. It could only be Arthas.</p>
<p>Jaina looked at the screen again to find out how late it was. Almost one o'clock in the morning. Time had passed rapidly. She remained on the settee and finished the paragraph she had begun before she saved the document. She heard Arthas coming closer to the living room but she didn't get up from the comfortable piece of furniture.</p>
<p>Arthas entered the living room half a minute later. Despite the dimed light radiated by the lamps on the ceiling, she was clearly able to recognize Arthas' facial features. He looked exhausted and tired and his skin was paler than usual. He wore a black suit and a brown tie, his long blond hair was loose.</p>
<p>"Good evening, Jaina," he muttered as he went over to the settee and dropped himself next to her. Jaina turned to her husband and looked at him. It was already the next morning so she had technically not seen him for a whole day. It was the first time she saw him since she had gotten up the previous day. She hadn't gotten the chance to spent any time with him because he had been away the whole time. She was too tired to argue with him about him being so late again.</p>
<p>She could tell him that she missed seeing him and that their children missed their father but she was too tired and too exhausted to do that. She just wanted to go to bed and asleep. Arguing with him would only mean that she would get to bed much later. She needed her sleep, so she decided not to approach him about the fact that he was always late at home during the past months.</p>
<p>"Good evening, Arthas," she said quietly and put a hand on his left knee. "How was your day."</p>
<p>"Stressful as always. I took on several employees, so work should be less stressful in the future. I'm sure I'll be home much earlier every day starting next week."</p>
<p>"I hope so. You always came home after midnight in the past few months. The children always ask for you. They miss their dad."</p>
<p>Arthas sighed out and ran his fingers over his tired eyes. "I know, Jaina. I know. I wish I could spend more time with them but there is so much work to do. I even had to ask Uther to help me out. He was in retirement for three years before I asked him. I wish he wouldn't have to work at his age but we don't have the manpower to do the necessary work in time. I mean, I'm the boss of this company so I can't just leave after eight hours of work. I have to work as long as necessary. I would change things if I could. But I can't unfortunately. I promise I'll do everything in my power to be there for the kids. As I said, things should be less stressful at work starting next week."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded. "I hope so. Not only the little ones want to spend time with you. I want to spend time with you too," she said and leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She felt one of his arms wrap around her shoulders, making her feel safe and comfortable. She felt his hot breath in her neck which made her skin tingle in excitement. She enjoyed the warmth radiated by his body. She felt his hand on her right upper thigh, but said nothing when he caressed her exposed flesh. Only when he moved his hand further, she opened her eyes and looked at him.</p>
<p>Arthas appeared to be less tired than before, lust was reflected by his eyes. His hand came to the area between her legs, two fingers pressed against her flesh. "What are you doing?" Jaina asked confused.</p>
<p>Arthas raised an eyebrow, a questionable look could be seen on his handsome face. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. He didn't remove his hand and continued touching her.</p>
<p>"I'm tired and not in the mood for that. I have a very stressful day behind me."</p>
<p>"So have I. This would help us to relax, honey," Arthas whispered into her ear.</p>
<p>Jaina put her hand on Arthas', removing it from her most sacred place.</p>
<p>"Ah, c'mon, Jaina. I can be quick if you want."</p>
<p>Jaina shook her head. "I'm tired and I want to go to bed."</p>
<p>A slightly frustrated sigh escaped Arthas' lips. "Fine."</p>
<p>"I will go to bed now. Feel free to join me once you are ready."</p>
<p>"I will."</p>
<p>Jaina pressed a quick kiss on his cheek before she got up and went to their bedroom. She laid down on the bed and covered herself with the blanket, closing her eyes. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard footsteps. Her husband didn't need long to get undressed and lay down next to her. She felt his arms around her upper body and his hot breath in her neck. After a while, his hands wandered.</p>
<p>"Arthas," she said warningly. Her voice was low but sounded dangerous.</p>
<p>"Sorry," he muttered and put his hands back on her belly. He didn't dare to touch any of her erogenous zones again. His quiet snores, which she heard a few minutes later, told Jaina that he had fallen asleep. Sleep didn't let Jaina wait for too long. She fell asleep a few minutes after Arthas.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jaina brings her children to their schools and goes to work where a she finds a bad surprise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Jaina noticed when she woke up was the absence of the comfortable warmth she had felt before she had fallen asleep. There was no physical contact and no pleasant warmth that was radiated from another person's body. She stretched her arm out, hoping that Arthas was still there but she didn't find him in the bed.</p>
<p>There was no one. She was alone in the bed, the blanket still covered her body. Jaina groaned as she turned around and stared at the empty half of her bed. Arthas had already gotten up and was probably downstairs. Jaina let her head fall back on the pillow, her narrowed eyes rested on the ceiling.</p>
<p>The light was not turned on but the sun rays that shone through the roller blind illuminated the bedroom. She was tired. Tired and not motivated enough to get up. She just wanted to lay in bed a little longer but she knew she couldn't. She had to get ready for work. Even though she didn't want to get up, she did it nevertheless after almost ten minutes. She groaned as she left the bedroom and climbed down the stairs, walking to the kitchen.</p>
<p>Uther and Jasmine were already sitting at the kitchen table, both of them were eating their favourite muesli. It was not the healthiest muesli but it was the only muesli Uther and Jasmine ate. Jaina had tried to convince them to eat much healthier muesli but they had resisted. They had refused to eat anything until Jaina had given in and allowed them to eat their favourite breakfast.</p>
<p>Her children were as stubborn as their father. Arthas also sulked and acted up if he didn't want to do something or if he didn't get his will. He had done that at least when he had been very young and immature. He had often done that when he had been a little boy but at least he hadn't done that since he had become an adult.</p>
<p>Arthas knew that he wouldn't achieve anything if he would behave like this. His children, on the other hand, tried it often. Too often for Jaina's liking. She didn't always give in but sometimes she did. That had been the case when Jaina had tried to make them eat much healthier food for breakfast. Without success. If only Arthas would find the time to support her in such important matters. She was sure they would be able to convince their children together withouthaving to use other methods to make them stop eating these pieces of pure sugar.</p>
<p>Jaina approached her children and ran her fingers through their soft hair. "Good morning, sweeties."</p>
<p>"Good morning, mommy," they said in unison.</p>
<p>"How are you doing?"</p>
<p>"Good," they said.</p>
<p>"Did you sleep well?"</p>
<p>They nodded. Jaina smiled and caressed their heads again. "I'm glad to hear that."</p>
<p>"Did you sleep well, mommy?" Uther asked.</p>
<p>"Well, I didn't sleep as long as I should. I'm feeling a bit tired but I can do something about that."</p>
<p>"You mean the nasty liquid?"</p>
<p>Jaina knew what he was referring to so he nodded.</p>
<p>"Why are you drinking it if it doesn't taste good."</p>
<p>"It does, for adults like me at least. It's nothing for kids, so it's good that you don't like its taste."</p>
<p>Uther said nothing in response and just put another spoon full of cornflakes in his mouth. He chewed them audibly, not caring that his mother was regarding him while he was eating his meal with his mouth open. Jaina could see the cornflakes getting crushed by his teeth.</p>
<p>"Where is your father?"</p>
<p>"He is talking to someone but I don't know where he went nor do I know who he is talking to," responded Uther.</p>
<p>"Talking? Does he have a personal conversation with someone or is he talking to someone on the phone?"</p>
<p>"Phone."</p>
<p>"Alright," muttered Jaina and went to the coffee machine, finding out that Arthas had left her some coffee. She poured the hot brown liquid into a cup, blowing on it until it was cool enough for her liking. She took a few sips, a low moan escaped her lips as the delicious liquid flowed down her throat.</p>
<p>She had needed this so badly. She felt much more awake and fresher after a few minutes of waiting. The coffee served its purpose. Jaina emptied the rest of the cup and put it on the kitchen counter, walking back to the table. She took a banana and two apples from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table, eating them one by one while she sat on a chair and regarded her children.</p>
<p>Arthas entered the room a few minutes later. He already wore his favourite suit together with his favourite tie, his hair was made up in a ponytail. Jaina was not used to seeing him with this hairstyle but she had to admit that he looked good. He always looked good no matter how he made his hair. Even with short hair, he was pretty handsome.</p>
<p>"Good morning, my love," Arthas said as he walked over to her and kissed her cheek.</p>
<p>"Good morning, my dear," Jaina said in return. "Thanks for making me coffee."</p>
<p>Arthas smiled. "You are welcome."</p>
<p>Jaina was about to say something when the phone in Arthas' pocket vibrated. He had just received a message. Arthas sighed and took his phone out, looking at the screen after he had turned it on. "I can't even have a single free minute," he muttered and put his phone back in his pocket.</p>
<p>His gaze fell on his wife. "Can you bring the children to their schools? There is an important matter I have to take care off."</p>
<p>Jaina looked at the clock of the cooker. It was almost seven o'clock. "Well, I would have to hurry but I think I can make it in time."</p>
<p>"That would be nice if you could do that." Arthas leaned forward and kissed her temple. "I owe you something, J."</p>
<p>"You are going right now?" Jaina asked.</p>
<p>Arthas nodded.</p>
<p>"Kiss me goodbye at least."</p>
<p>Arthas' smile became wider. "With pleasure," he said and leaned in. He pressed his lips on hers, feeling her returning the kiss without hesitation. The kiss didn't last as long as Jaina had hoped for and was not as passionate as the kisses they usually shared but it was good enough for the moment. Jaina was satisfied with that kiss.</p>
<p>Arthas put a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek. "I'll try to get home earlier today but I can't promise anything. But next week, I will have more time for all of you." He put his hands on the heads of their children, caressing them. He kissed their foreheads and wished them a good day. He wished the same to Jaina before he picked up his briefcase from one of the chairs and went to the room's exit. He waved at everyone before he finally left the kitchen.</p>
<p>Jaina averted her gaze from the exit after a few minutes and looked at her children who had just finished eating. "We have to work together if we want to make it in time." Her gaze fell on Uther. "It would be nice if you take your sister to the bathroom and wash your teeth together. I will make your breakfast in the meantime and then I will help Jasmine getting dressed. You will get dressed and pack all the things you need in your satchel. I will check it before we go."</p>
<p>Uther nodded.</p>
<p>"I'm counting on you."</p>
<p>"I won't disappoint you, mother."</p>
<p>Jaina smiled at him and signalized him to get up. Uther did that and helped his sister from her chair. He took her hand and guided her to the bathroom. Jaina got up as well and took the necessary things out of the fridge. She made sandwiches for Uther and cut tomatoes and a carrot in slices. She put everything in his favourite lunch box and put it on the table.</p>
<p>Uther and Jasmine entered the kitchen a few seconds later. Jaina didn't hesitate to pick up her daughter and bring her to her room. "What do you want to wear today, angel?" Jaina asked as she opened her daughter's wardrobe.</p>
<p>Jasmine pointed at the red dress with white polka dots. "This one," she said excitedly. Jaina smiled. "So be it."</p>
<p>They left the room once Jasmine was dressed, meeting Uther who wore a blue pair of jeans and a green shirt on which a Lego figure could be seen. It was a red ninja who held a sword in its hands. "Would you guide your sister downstairs and help her put on her jacket?"</p>
<p>Uther nodded. "Of course I can. Even the shoes?"</p>
<p>"You can try. Let me do it if it's too hard for you."</p>
<p>The eight-year-old nodded. "I will give my best, mommy."</p>
<p>"You are so sweet."</p>
<p>Uther smiled and took his sister's hand, carefully guiding her down the stairs. Jaina was so proud of him. He did everything in his capabilities to help her whenever he can and he doesn't demand anything in return. He made her daily life so much easier. She didn't know what she would do if he wouldn't be as cooperative and helping as he was. She assumed that the stress would overwhelm her sooner or later. Due to her son, she was able to get through her stressful daily life. She was glad that she had him.</p>
<p>Jaina wished she could regard Uther guiding his sister much longer but she knew that their time was limited, so she didn't hesitate to walk to her room. She didn't need long to find an outfit she liked. She made her hair once she was done with getting dressed and finally regarded herself in the mirror.</p>
<p>She wore a purple skirt that reached to her knees, the first two buttons of her white blouse were open so that a good part of her cleavage could be seen. She was not afraid to show that she was a very attractive woman. She was a proud woman who was not ashamed of her body. But she didn't want to show too much that was the reason why only two buttons were open. She didn't want to distract her students but it still happened too often for her liking.</p>
<p>Jaina put on purple high-heels, sat her glasses on her nose and put her favourite necklace around her neck. It was a necklace with an anchor as a pendant which her father gifted to her after she had passed her final exams at the university. She stroked it absent-mindedly while she thought about her deceased father. Thinking about him still pained her after all these years. She still had not fully accepted what happened fifteen years ago. She still felt guilty. A tear ran down her cheek but it didn't smear her fresh makeup. Jaina wiped the tear away and regarded her reflection again, leaving the room when she was sure that everything sat perfectly.</p>
<p>She picked up her leather briefcase, in which were all the things she needed for work, and went to the ground floor. As expected, her children were in the entrance hall and were already fully dressed. "You did it," Jaina said happily and caressed the heads of her children. "I'm so proud of you."</p>
<p>Jasmine and Uther smiled at her, excitement was reflected by their eyes. It was obvious that they couldn't wait going to their schools. Jaina grabbed one of her jackets, a purple one, and put it on. She took her bunch of keys and the keys for the backup car from the key hooks and opened the front door, signalizing her children to leave the house. They did as they were told and regarded her mother while she locked the door.</p>
<p>Jaina walked with them to the garage which she opened by pressing a button on the small remote control that hung on her bunch of keys. The garage gate was not silent when it was lifted up. Jaina unlocked the doors of the black BMWand opened them, allowing her children to get in.</p>
<p>She fastened Jasmine's seatbelt and made sure that Uther's belt was tight enough but not too tight. She sat down on the driver's seat, making sure that all doors were closed before she strapped herself up and put the car key in the keyhole. She made one last glance at her children before she started the engine.</p>
<p>She drove out of the garage, closing the gate with the remote control. She waited until both sides of the road were free before she drove into the right lane. The drive to Uther's school didn't take longer than fifteen minutes. She held next to the pavement and allowed her son to get out of the car. Normally, she would bring him to his classroom but she was under time pressure, so she didn't enter the building with him. She handed him his satchel and kissed his forehead, wishing him a wonderful day. Uther hugged his mother quickly and kissed her cheek, waving at her when he walked towards the entrance. He met his friends in front of the school building and entered it with them.</p>
<p>Jaina got back in the car and drove to Jasmine's nursery school. Unlike her brother, Jasmine was too young to enter the building and go to her group room alone. Jaina had to accompany her. She picked up Jasmine's backpack from the rear seats and took Jasmine's hand, guiding her to the yellow building. They greeted familiar children and parents on their way to the room of Jasmine's group. The educator stood right next to the open door.</p>
<p>It was a female draenei with short brown hair. She wore a blue pair of jeans and a white shirt. She smiled at mother and daughter, signalizing the two-year-old to go in. Jasmine received a nod from her mother and didn't hesitate to rush into the room and greet her friends. Jaina's gaze rested on her for a few moments before it wandered to the educator.</p>
<p>"It has been a while since the last time you brought Jasmine to us. I thought your husband always does that these days."</p>
<p>"He usually does but he had to go to work much sooner than usual so he asked me to bring our children to their schools."</p>
<p>The draenei nodded. "He seems to be very stressed lately."</p>
<p>"He is. His work has become more stressful and demanding in the past months. He works longer every day than he has to."</p>
<p>"Running a company is not easy. I hope he doesn't overwork himself."</p>
<p>"I hope the same. I fear that his work will be too much for him one day. At least he promised me that he will work less starting next week."</p>
<p>"I hope for him that he stops working overtime. For his health and your private life. I bet he comes home very late every day."</p>
<p>A quiet sigh escaped Jaina's lips. "He does... I wish I could talk to you much longer but I have to go now if I don't want to be too late for class. I hope you don't mind if I go now, Leyane."</p>
<p>"Of course not," appeased the draenei. "We can talk when you pick her up later today."</p>
<p>"Sounds good to me," Jaina responded with a small smile on her full lips. "I'll say my daughter goodbye really quick before I'll leave."</p>
<p>"See you later, Jaina."</p>
<p>Jaina entered the room, finding her daughter playing with her friends. She called her name and the young girl didn't hesitate to rush over to her mother. Jaina squatted down and hugged her daughter, kissing her forehead. "Have a wonderful day, princess. I will pick you up as soon as I can."</p>
<p>Jasmine kissed her mother's cheek. "See you later, mommy."</p>
<p>Jaina caressed her back softly before she pulled away and walked to the room's exit. She looked at her for the last time before she left the room and then the nursery school. She went to her car and got in, driving to her place of work. She already saw it from afar before she even got close to it. It was a gigantic building complex which consisted of several magnificent constructions. The domed roofs were unmistakable and clearly visible from afar. Each building had such a roof, all of them were covered by purple tiles.</p>
<p>Jaina eventually arrived at the staff carpark, finding a free spot at the last row. She shut down the engine and grabbed her briefcase before she left the car. She looked at the watch on her right wrist, finding out that she had five minutes left to reach the room where she had to be. She walked as fast as her high heels allowed and finally reached the entrance. She ignored the whistles she received from the small group of young men near the entrance. She didn't have the time or the desire to scold them and tell them to get to their classrooms.</p>
<p>She entered the university wordlessly, spotting a few students that were still hanging out in the corridor although their classes were about to begin. She noticed the gazes some of them were giving her. Some students tried to hide it while others ogled her shamelessly. Jaina was aware that lots of students from Dalaran University found her very attractive. Males and females alike. She was considered as one of the most attractive professors. She was very popular among the students but also among the teaching staff.</p>
<p>Jaina had no time for the immature behaviour of these individuals. She was certain she wouldn't reach her class in time but that was no real problem. Most teachers were usually a few minutes late for their classes. Nevertheless, Jaina always tried to be punctual. She usually was. This day was an exception. She was greeted by loud noises when she arrived at the room five minutes too late. Her students were talking to each other loudly, most of them didn't even sit on their seats.</p>
<p>Only the top pupils and the arse-lickers sat obediently on their seats and didn't talk or do anything inappropriate. Smiles could be seen on their faces when they looked at her. It was obvious that her presence made them happy.</p>
<p>Jaina walked over to her desk and flung her briefcase on it, the loud bang silenced the talkative students. They didn't hesitate to get on their seats and look at their teacher. They had enough respect for Jaina to not ignore her and keep talking. They were smart enough to not stress her.</p>
<p>The first thing Jaina did after she had greeted her students was to check the attendance. Only one of forty students was missing and no one knew why he was not there. Some of them assumed that he had missed the bus or overslept. Jaina wrote a note in the coursebook and then began with her lesson.</p>
<p>It was faster over than expected. Jaina was very surprised when the ringing of the school bell interrupted her explanation. She looked at her wristwatch, noticing that eighty-five minutes had already passed. She finished her explanation and then dismissed her students. She packed her things together and walked towards the exit of the lecture hall as she caught sight on the notepad on one of the desks in the foremost rows. One of her students must have left it there.</p>
<p>She went to the desk, noticing that it was open. She saw a beautiful drawing of a bird that was accurate in every detail. It was a sparrow. The student had only used a pen to draw it but it almost looked as if it had been printed. Whoever had drawn this had great talent. She turned the page and looked at the next drawing. It was a drawing of the largest building part of Dalaran University. She found much more wonderful drawings when flicked through the pages. The motif changed from drawing to drawing. Animals, objects, plants, vehicles and many other things have been drawn.</p>
<p>But after so many perfect drawings came one which made Jaina wonder. It was a drawing of her head. It was much more detailed than the previous drawings. The student had put much more effort into that drawing than into their previous drawings. Jaina frowned as she regarded the picture. She turned the page, spotting another drawing of her. This time not only her head but also her torso was shown. The drawing itself was as perfect as the previous one.</p>
<p>Jaina leafed through the notepad, finding more drawings of her. A whole-body drawing, her in a bikini, her eating an apple, her lying on a desk in a very erotic pose while all buttons of her blouse were open and too much of her skin was revealed. Jaina felt her cheeks turn red. She quickly turned the page over, regarding the next drawing.</p>
<p>This drawing was different. Unlike all the previous drawings of her, she was not the only person that was portrayed. There was another woman drawn Jaina knew very well. It was another professor who was also a good friend of her. Jaina recognized her due to the long and pointed ears and the silver hair. It was no other than Vereesa Windrunner, her colleague and one of her closest friends.</p>
<p>The picture was colourized and showed her and Vereesa kissing. Both of them were naked and touched each other. Jaina's face became as red as a tomato as she realized where Vereesa's left hand was was something written in vector letters.</p>
<p>
  <em>Jaina PRIDEmoore's secret love.</em>
</p>
<p>The word pride was coloured in rainbow colours.</p>
<p>It was a parody of her birth name. Proudmoore.</p>
<p>Jaina was stunned. Blushing and stunned. She couldn't avert her gaze for some reason. She couldn't stop looking at the drawing. She had to admit it was excellently drawn but that was the only positive thing she could say about it. This picture was more than just inappropriate. Her kissing another woman was not the problem. She had had her experiences with women in the past. She was tolerant when it came to same-sex relationships.</p>
<p>What she didn't tolerate was people making such naughty drawings of her. Especially when it also included her best friend. It could have been any other woman but that student took Vereesa off all female teachers. Everyone knew about their friendship and everyone knew that both of them were married to men. Jaina was asking herself why this student had chosen them for this inappropriate drawing. She was asking herself why that student was so obsessed with her. She would have appreciated one drawing or two but more than ten were too much. She found it creepy.</p>
<p>Jaina closed the notepad, not wanting to find out what else the student had drawn. She knew who sat on this seat. She had often caught him drawing in her lessons but she had never caught him drawing her. He must have hidden these drawings well from her.</p>
<p>Jaina had no idea what to do. She didn't know if she should crumple them and throw them in the dustbin. She had no idea if she should approach the student the next time she would see him or if she shouldn't say anything to him. She didn't know if she should tell Vereesa about it. She was certain that Vereesa would want to see it because she wouldn't believe it without proof. She could already imagine Vereesa's reaction. Her face would be as red as hers, if not even redder.</p>
<p>Should she tell Arthas about this? Or Vereesa's husband? How did that student know about her birth name? Did such a picture already count as sexual harassment? What about the freedom of art? Could she scold and punish the student for such a drawing? Would that be just?</p>
<p>Jaina had no idea. She found no answers to her questions. She didn't know what to do at this moment. She couldn't think straight. She needed some distraction. She decided to go to the staffroom and get some coffee, hoping that it would allow her to get a clear head. She put the notepad in her briefcase and left the lecture hall quickly.</p>
<p>She noticed the looks the students were giving her when she rushed through the corridor but she ignored them. She didn't need long to reach the staffroom. She opened the door with the fitting key and entered it.</p>
<p>There were four large tables in the middle of the room. Each of these tables consisted of four smaller tables which were put together. On each of these large tables stood eight chairs. Four on the left and four on the right. On the left side of the room were several cupboards filled with books, files and other useful stuff the professors needed. Next to the cupboards hang four whiteboards in the middle of the wall on which several documents, pictures and other pieces of paper were pinned.</p>
<p>The first thing Jaina did was to drop her briefcase on one of the settees that stood in the right corner of the room before she went to the small fitted kitchen on the opposite side of the room. She made herself some coffee and went back to the settees, dropping herself next to her briefcase. She had only the first double lesson behind her but was already drained. The lesson itself had not been stressful. She couldn't explain to herself why she felt so drained. At least she had coffee which would help her to relax.</p>
<p>She took a sip from her mug and stared at the opposite wall. She only averted her gaze when a familiar creature came in her sight. It was a male human with long fiery-red hair that was braided and reached to the middle of his back. His chin was covered by a goatee, his eyes were brown and his face was handsome. He wore grey trousers and a purple tunic. He held a cup filled with coffee in his hand and gave her a worried look.</p>
<p>"You look exhausted, Jaina. Was the first double lesson that hard?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Not really but... I don't know. I can't really explain why I feel so drained, Rhonin," Jaina responded. The thought of showing her colleague what she had seen crossed her mind but she decided against it. She needed more time to think about it before she would show it to anyone. If she would show it to another person, she would show it to Vereesa first. The drawing was also about her. She didn't want to show it to Vereesa's husband until she had shown it to her.</p>
<p>"At least you don't have to go through eight lessons every day like us. Being a mother has its advantages. Vereesa also has only six lessons every day because she has to take care of the kids just like you," responded Rhonin.</p>
<p>"I wish I could have more lessons but like you said I have to be home for my children. If only Arthas would allow me to employ a nanny... My daily life would be less stressful," Jaina said and took another sip of coffee.</p>
<p>"I think you already told me the reason why he doesn't want to have a nanny in his house," replied Rhonin. "Wasn't he afraid that the nanny would steal stuff from him?"</p>
<p>"That's one of the reasons but not the most important one. The nanny who had looked after him when he had been younger had been caught stealing and passing on information that had to do with the company of Arthas' family. The main reason is that Arthas' friends had bad experiences with nannies and it seems that they convinced him to not employ anyone. I tried to speak to him about this matter so often but I never managed to convince him."</p>
<p>A thoughtful look could be seen on Rhonin's face. "Hmm... Do you think I could convince him?"</p>
<p>"Well... Didn't you try to convince Vereesa to employ a nanny so that she could have more time for herself? As far as I know, she still doesn't want to employ a nanny because she wants to spend as much time as possible with your children."</p>
<p>Rhonin was silent for a few moments and then he sighed. "Well, yes... But that's something different. I could try to convince Arthas that most nannies are not like the ones his father and his friends had employed. I could even offer him to look for a good nanny. Arthas likes me so I think he would listen to me."</p>
<p>Jaina sighed. "The problem is that Arthas barely has time for his family these days. He is working too long every day. He promised me that he will be earlier at home starting next week but I'm not sure about that. He had often promised me such things and nothing has changed in the end. Something unexpected always happened when he thought that at some point that he would have less work to do in the future. Whenever he announced me something like that, either one of his co-workers got sick or quit. The last time he made me the same promise, he told me two days later that he had to fire his secretary because of sexual harassment."</p>
<p>"Let's hope that it will be different this time," Rhonin said quietly.</p>
<p>Jaina emptied her mug. "I wouldn't count on it but I still hope it will be different this time."</p>
<p>"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. If you ever need any advice, feel free to come to me. If you have any problem, just come to me or to Vereesa."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded and gave him a small smile. "I will, Rhonin."</p>
<p>The redhead returned her smile and then looked at the clock at the opposite wall. "The break is almost over, so we should go to our classes. I'll see you during lunch break. Vereesa will be there too I assume."</p>
<p>Despite the protest of her body, Jaina got up from the settee and took her briefcase. She wished she could relax much longer but she knew she had to go to her next class. She was looking forward to seeing Rhonin during lunch. She was looking forward to seeing her best friend even though she had no idea how to behave towards her. She still had no idea if she should tell Vereesa about the drawings or if she should keep it secret and talk to Arthas first. She would have to think about it if she had time.</p>
<p>Jaina gave her friend a small smile. "I will see you later, Rhonin," she said before he left the staffroom. Jaina left the room half a minute later but headed in the opposite direction, walking towards the room where her next class was.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arthas left the entrance hall and stepped into one of the three elevators, pressing the button with the number four on it. He ran his fingers over his eyes and took a deep breath before he regarded himself in the slim mirror that was built in the right wall of the elevator cabin.</p>
<p>He looked good as always. His suit and his tie sat perfectly, he didn't look tired nor was his skin too pale. He had dark circles beneath his eyes and no wrinkles on his face. He looked much younger than he was. He didn't look like a thirty-seven years old family father, instead, he looked like a businessman who recently turned thirty. He looked good for his age.</p>
<p>Arthas waited until the elevator reached its destination and the doors were opened and then left the cabin. He met a few of his co-workers when he walked through the corridor which walls were white and which floor was covered by a blue carpet. He greeted all of them properly, most of them with their surnames but he also greeted some of them with their first names. Those who worked for the company for at least ten years and those he was friends with were greeted by him with their first names.</p>
<p>He reached the end of the corridor and stepped into a familiar huge room. The walls were also white and the floor was covered by the same carpet like the corridor Arthas had just passed. There were dozens of desks arranged in three rows. There was a computer with at least two screens on each desk, lots of documents laid on most of them.</p>
<p>Most desks were occupied at the very moment Arthas had arrived in the room. Most of Arthas' co-workers sat on their seats and did their work.</p>
<p>Only a few didn't sit on their seats or were not present. Those who didn't sit were either talking to their colleagues about something or were bringing files and documents to another desk. Everyone was busy working and no one was idle.</p>
<p>The situation was just like Arthas preferred it. No one was wasting time or disturbing the others. He didn't mind if his co-workers would talk to others for a few minutes or make short pauses. He tolerated it as long as it didn't get out of hand. He was not as strict as his father but he was not too yielding either. He didn't allow his co-workers to do what they wanted. Everything had to run smoothly without any disturbances. As long as this was guaranteed, he didn't mind his co-workers joking around a little and having fun from time to time.</p>
<p>Arthas didn't have the time nor the desire to great every single co-worker, so he greeted them all together loud enough that everyone could hear him. He received greetings from everyone and had everyone's attention when he walked through the room. He came to the door at the end of the room and opened it without knocking. His sight fell on the woman behind the desk made out of pinewood.</p>
<p>She had crimson hair, bilious green eyes and a beautiful face. Like usual, she wore a white blouse with long sleeves and a black skirt that barely reached to her knees. The first two buttons of her blouse were open so that her cleavage was exposed.</p>
<p>The woman hung up the receiver the moment she caught sight of Arthas, her crimson red lips formed a happy smile. It was clearly visible that she wore makeup and lipstick. "Good morning, Mr Menethil. I'm so happy to see you."</p>
<p>"Good morning, Selania. How are you doing?"</p>
<p>"I'm good. How about you?"</p>
<p>"Could be better. You know how the situation is at the moment. We have not enough co-workers for the number of clients we currently have. We even had to refuse some clients which we never did before. I feel bad about refusing them, especially because they will go to our competitors, but we cannot accept them at the moment. We don't have the time and manpower for more clients. We have too many already."</p>
<p>"We can only hope that things will get better as soon as the new employees start working," said Selania. "You worked so hard in the past months. You need some time to relax. You deserve it."</p>
<p>Arthas snorted annoyed. "The situation will be anything but relaxing when the new employees arrive. Most co-workers will still have to work longer than usual. But at least they won't have to work as long as they do now. There might be days on which we have less to do than usual but I wouldn't count on it."</p>
<p>Arthas walked over to his desk and put his briefcase on the left side, then he turned around and looked back at his secretary and continued.</p>
<p>"We have to hold our course if we want to prevent our competitors from passing us. I want our company to stay the most successful and most popular law firm in the city. Lordaeron has always been number one since my father founded it fifty years ago. I don't want that to change. I begrudge Quel'Thalas to be the number one. After all the cases Sylvanas Windrunner made so difficult for me, not to mention the ones she won undeserved, I will not allow her company to become the number one."</p>
<p>"I bet that bitch only won these cases because she bribed the judges. Maybe she offered them her body...," Selania said. Her lips formed a mischievous grin.</p>
<p>Arthas raised an eyebrow at Selania's mean words. "I would be careful what you say about her. It might be fine when we are alone but you shouldn't say something like that when we are not. You know how quickly gossip can spread. If a wrong person hears it, it's not unlikely that the entire company will know what you said. The chances are not too low that the public will find about it. You should know how talkative some of our colleagues are, especially the women. I do not want to have another scandal... The previous one cost us so much, so I don't want it to happen again. Is that clear?"</p>
<p>Selania nodded and looked ashamed at her crimson red fingernails. Arthas was not sure if she would take his criticism to her heart or if she would forget about what he had said and continue to act as she usually did. No signs of shame could be seen on Selania's face when she looked up after a few moments. "Yes, it is, Mr Menethil."</p>
<p>Arthas gave her a small smile. "Good."</p>
<p>"I'm sure you will win the next case against Windrunner. You are by far the best lawyer of the city," Selania complimented, a small flirtatious smile could be seen on her lips.</p>
<p>"I hope that I don't have to face her in the future. She is also a pretty good lawyer and she has been a thorn in my side too often for my liking. Hopefully, she won't represent the clients that are involved in my future cases. Unfortunately, she is very popular which means that most people who will not go to us will go to her company. We usually meet in the courtroom when there is a big civil process," explained Arthas.</p>
<p>"I will help you whenever I can, Mr Menethil. Just tell me what I have to do and I will do it. I will do <em>anything</em> for <em>you</em>." Arthas didn't miss the way she pronounced the words anything and you. It was obvious that she wanted something from him. He knew it since the first week she had started working and her behaviour had not changed over the past three years. Selania was not only an arse-licker but also someone who would do anything to get a salary increase or other benefits. She would do anything for money, Arthas was sure of that.</p>
<p>Arthas had told her more than once that he didn't appreciate the way she behaved but she had never changed her behaviour no matter how often he had reminded her to not do the obvious flirting and all the other inappropriate stuff. All he could do was to ignore her flirting as best as possible.</p>
<p>He could caution her but even that wouldn't help him because Selania knew he wouldn't fire her. He didn't have the time to find a replacement not to mention that his company was already lacking workers. Selania may not be the fastest and most efficient worker but she always did her tasks. He was dependent on her support, otherwise, the amount of work would overwhelm him.</p>
<p>"I appreciate your help, Selania. I will tell you when I'll need your help."</p>
<p>Selania smiled at him and nodded but said nothing in response. Arthas turned on his computer and logged into his email account. He read the emails he had received and then looked at his secretary. "What's on my schedule?"</p>
<p>"Your first appointment is in one hour. Ms Winterhorn likes to talk to you about her case."</p>
<p>"As talkative as she is, I bet this appointment will take at least two hours."</p>
<p>"Probably."</p>
<p>"Do I have any other appointments today?"</p>
<p>"Yes. Two more to be exact."</p>
<p>"When and with who."</p>
<p>"You have an appointment at half past eleven with Mr Strongjeck. The last appointment is at fourteen o'clock with Mr Greenscale."</p>
<p>"Thank you. Is there anything else I need to know?"</p>
<p>"Yes, there is something. Ms Whisperwind sent us the documents you asked about. I allowed myself to print them so that you can sign them and I can send them back to her."</p>
<p>The ghost of a smile could be seen on Arthas' lips. "Give me the documents, I'll sign them right now."</p>
<p>Selania grabbed a stack of documents from her desk and walked over to the desk of her boss, leaning forward to place the documents right in front of him. She remained in this posture, strands of her hair fell in her face but that didn't bother her. What bothered Arthas was the unwanted view he had when she stood there like this. It was too obvious that she did that on purpose. Arthas had a perfect view of her low neckline because she wanted him to see her huge bosom. Arthas caught himself staring at her curves even though he did not want to.</p>
<p>He averted his gaze and looked at the documents ashamed. He felt guilty for accidentally ogling another woman. He was loyal to his wife, he truly loved her and he would never dare to cheat on her. He was not like some of his friends and co-workers who ogled other women in the absence of their wives. He didn't do such things. He would never dare.</p>
<p>"Where do I have to sign?" he asked eventually.</p>
<p>Selania leaned forward even further and stretched her arm out, pointing at a certain line. Arthas signed the document and put it aside, regarding the next. Selania showed him again where he had to put his signature. They repeated this until all documents were signed. Arthas handed them to his secretary wordlessly, watching her returning to her desk after she had stayed in front of his desk for almost two minutes.</p>
<p>Selania went to the printer and scanned the documents. Arthas averted his gaze from her as soon as she leaned forward and pointed her rear in his direction. He had to admit that she had a well-formed ass but he had no desire to take a closer look at it no matter how sexy it looked like. There was only one woman he ogled whenever he wanted. That woman was no other than his wife.</p>
<p>Arthas looked up from his computer as soon as Selania had walked away from the printer. She sat on her chair and was typing on her computer, making Arthas assume that she was writing an email to Tyrande Whisperwind. Arthas looked back at his computer and continued what he had started the previous day. He was doing research for his newest case which involved a man who got caught stealing expensive gems and necklaces out of a jeweller's store.</p>
<p>Arthas was so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice Selania asking him a question. He didn't notice her coming closer, only when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, he recognized her. He startled, his elbow came in contact with the rightmost picture on his desk. The picture would have landed on the floor and the glass frame would probably have been shattered if Selania wouldn't have reacted quickly and caught it with one hand. She regarded the picture for a short moment before she put it in the middle of the desk. "That was close."</p>
<p>Arthas was more than just impressed by her quickreflexes."Woah, that was impressive, Selania. How did you do that? I have never seen a person reacting so fast."</p>
<p>Selania couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "I'm getting trained in martial arts since I was a little girl."</p>
<p>"You never told me that you are capable of martial arts. Why didn't you?"</p>
<p>"You never asked."</p>
<p>"Well, I could have come to this conclusion by myself. It is obvious that you are doing sports because you are more muscular than the average woman. Anyway, I assume you wanted something from me."</p>
<p>Selania smiled but didn't dare to say what had just come in her mind. Instead, she pointed at the cup she still held in her right hand. "I just wanted to offer you some coffee. I made some for us and for Ms Winterhorn."</p>
<p>The mention of Arthas' client made him look at the watch on his wrist. It was almost nine o'clock. "Why not? Thank you, Selania."</p>
<p>The redhead gave him a small smile when she put the cup in front of him. Arthas didn't miss the way she swayed her hips when she returned to her desk and sat down. His gaze fell on the brown liquid in the cup before it wandered to his computer. He grabbed the cup and brought it to his lips, taking a sip. He typed with only one hand while he drank his coffee. Once the cup was empty, he put it aside and continued to type with both hands.</p>
<p>He only averted his gaze when he heard knocks at the door. "Come in," he shouted loud enough so that the person in front of the door heard it. The door was opened a few seconds later and a familiar man stepped in. Like Arthas, he wore a black suit but he didn't wear a tie around his neck. His grey hair was short, his face was wrinkled and shaved. The man was almost sixty years old.</p>
<p>"What can I do for you, Marwyn?" Arthas asked.</p>
<p>"I wanted to inform you that Ms Winterhorn has arrived, Arthas."</p>
<p>Arthas gave him a nod. "Bring her to room 117 and tell her to wait for me. Offer her something to drink and eat. The usual stuff. Make sure she lacks nothing. I will arrive soon."</p>
<p>Marwyn nodded. "As you wish, boss." The old man left the room and closed the door behind him as soon as he received a thankful nod from his boss. Arthas finished the paragraph he had started and saved the document, getting up from his chair. His gaze fell on his secretary. "I assume you have enough tasks to do."</p>
<p>The redhead nodded. "I do, Mr Menethil."</p>
<p>"If you are finished earlier then you can ask Uther, Falric or Marwyn if you can help them. If they have nothing for you then come back to me. If I'm still in an appointment, you can take a break in the meantime. Keep in mind that you don't have to work longer than written in your contract."</p>
<p>"I don't mind working longer for the company, especially when I can help you. You are working longer than all the others, I wouldn't mind staying an hour longer if it would mean that you might leave the company building before twenty-three o'clock," she replied.</p>
<p>Arthas didn't know if she really meant it or if she had just said that to impress him. He didn't ask her about this and just took her by her word. "It's your choice, Selania. You don't have to but I appreciate your willingness. I try to have everything done before twenty-two o'clock, but you know how it is these days. I often stay longer than I've planned."</p>
<p>"I hope things will change for the better once the new employees arrive. They will need some time to get used to everything but they will make things much easier and less stressful for us once they start working."</p>
<p>"I hope the same," Arthas said. He picked up a folder from his desk and turned off his computer. He walked to the door and opened it but he didn't walk through it yet. He turned his head and looked at Selania. "If something important happens, don't hesitate to inform me. You know that you can come to me at any time, even when I have an appointment with one of my clients."</p>
<p>Selania nodded. "I know. If it's very important, I will come to you directly. Otherwise, I will go to Mr Lightbringer or to your sister."</p>
<p>"You can go to Marwyn and Falric as well. They are my advisors after all. Just like Calia and Uther. Anyway, see you later."</p>
<p>Selania gave him her brightest smile. "See you later."</p>
<p>Arthas left his office and crossed the room where his co-workers were working. He took the rightmost elevator and arrived on the first level, the walk to the room didn't take him too long. He opened the door without hesitation and entered the room, spotting a familiar woman. It was a drakonid, a half-dragon. Her skin was covered by blue scales, horns came out of her forehead. She turned her head the moment Arthas entered the room and looked at him.</p>
<p>"Greetings, Ms Winterhorn," Arthas said when he walked over to her and stretched his hand out, offering her a handshake. The drakonid took his hand and shook it. "I think I told you more than once to call me Jeyzline, Mr Menethil."</p>
<p>Arthas sat down on an empty chair and put his folder in front of him. "Very well, Jeyzline. In that case, feel free to call me Arthas."</p>
<p>"As you wish."</p>
<p>Arthas' gaze fell on the cup of coffee and the snacks that stood next to Jeyzline's left arm. "Do you need anything else besides something to eat and drink?" he asked politely.</p>
<p>The half-dragon shook her head. "I'm good."</p>
<p>"Have you told your tenant what I told you last time?"</p>
<p>"I did but he still doesn't listen to me. He doesn't give me the money he owes me nor does he move out. I have the impression he does everything in his power to get on my nerves. He bothers me whenever he can. I'm not sure how long I can bear this terror." The drakonid sounded worried and she was very nervous. Arthas had the impression that she was even scared.</p>
<p>"What exactly does he do?"</p>
<p>"You mean besides glaring at me dangerously and not greeting me anymore?"</p>
<p>Arthas nodded.</p>
<p>"He stamps his feet on the floor so that I can always hear him. He also stamps down the stairs whenever he leaves the house. He does that on purpose. He always turns on the music way too loud and sometimes he even sings. Sing is the wrong word in this case. His voice is horrible and the problem is that he always stays up long which means I always hear him when I go to bed. I'm not the only one who cannot sleep. My children need sleep too. Damien's class teacher told me that he has problems staying awake in school. He wouldn't have this problem if my damn tenant wouldn't behave like an immature child."</p>
<p>Arthas took a deep breath and ran two fingers over the sides of his nose, his eyes were closed for a short moment. "It seems that we have no other choice than to accuse him. "He no longer just refuses to pay you, now he also disturbs your peace. Have you thought about calling the cops?"</p>
<p>"I did but..." Jeyzline stopped, insecurity was reflected by her eyes.</p>
<p>"But what?" Arthas dug deeper.</p>
<p>"I'm afraid that the cops wouldn't be able to do much and that my tenant would do new things. I'm afraid that I only make things worse."</p>
<p>Arthas gave his client a warm and confident smile. "I understand you, Jeyzline, but you don't need to be afraid. The cops will probably warn him when you call them the first time and if you call them again, they will arrest him if he didn't change his behaviour in the meantime. You can trust the police and don't need to be scared. From what you told me about your tenant, I don't believe he will be violent. You could ask a friend or a relative to stay for a few days or weeks in case your tenant will do something unexpected."</p>
<p>A loud sigh escaped Jeyzline's lips. "If my husband would still be alive, I wouldn't have this problem. Typhon would have dealt with Mr Kenvenz. Mr Kenvenz had never done such things when Typhon was around. He had respect for him. Mr Kenvenz's misbehaviour began shortly after Typhon's death six months ago."</p>
<p>"You never told me what happened to your husband," Arthas said quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?"</p>
<p>Jeyzline was still visible sad. "It's still too early for me to talk about it. It was hard enough to explain to my family what happened."</p>
<p>"You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable. But keep in mind that I'm always there for you in case you need me. If you need to talk to someone, feel free to come to me."</p>
<p>"That's nice of you, Arthas. But I know how busy you are. It's not easy to get an appointment with you these days so I don't want to bother you with my problems. I have been seeing a therapist regularly for the past five months. She does her best to help me cope with the past. I appreciate your offer but I think I don't need it."</p>
<p>Arthas handed her a handkerchief and watched her wiping away the tears that were running down her cheeks. "I hope your therapist can help you in the long run."</p>
<p>"I'm convinced she can. She is really good. She is one of the best in the city and not too expensive. She is a good and smart woman."</p>
<p>"Who is she? Maybe I know her."</p>
<p>"Her name is Tyrande Whisperwind."</p>
<p>Arthas smiled. "Ah, Tyrande. Yes, I know her. Believe it or not, she is also one of my clients. Please don't tell anyone that I told you that. Because of data protection and so on. I don't want to get in trouble."</p>
<p>Jeyzline returned his smile. "Don't worry, Arthas. My lips are sealed."</p>
<p>Arthas' smile became wider. "Good." He cleared his throat and checked the documents in his folder again. "As I said earlier, you should call the cops if he makes more problems. You should also ask a friend or a relative if they can stay in your flat for a few days or weeks. I would suggest you to finally accuse him. We gave him the change to solve things peacefully but he refused, so we have no other choice than let the judges speak. Not only has he violated the tenancy agreement but he also harasses you. That's inexcusable. We have to take legal actions, otherwise, he will never stop."</p>
<p>The half-dragon nodded. "You are right. It will never end if I don't do anything about it."</p>
<p>"You should go to the police as soon as you can. I can accompany you if you want."</p>
<p>"That would be great. I'm afraid I will be too nervous to say anything."</p>
<p>Arthas gave her a small smile. "I will accompany you for sure then. Let me see when I will have time." Arthas took his phone out of his pocket and checked his schedule. "We could meet at the nearest police station at eight o'clock tomorrow. I think I have to postpone my appointments a little but that's no problem. My secretary will take care of everything."</p>
<p>"That would be great," responded Jeyzline. Relief and happiness were reflected by her scaly face.</p>
<p>"Perfect. Is there anything else I can help you with?"</p>
<p>The half-dragon shook her head. "Not at the moment but thanks for asking."</p>
<p>Arthas pointed at her empty cup. "Do you want more coffee or some snacks?"</p>
<p>Jeyzline shook her head again. "No, thank you." She looked at the watch on her wrist. "I wish we could talk a little longer but I have to go. My therapist may be a patient woman but I don't want to let her wait for too long. I will rather be punctual this time."</p>
<p>"Alright, I will bring you to the elevator. Normally, I would bring you to the exit but there is so much work waiting in my office. I hope you don't mind if I don't bring you to the door this time."</p>
<p>"I don't really mind. My sense of direction might not be the best but I'm still able to find the way out of this massive building," Jeyzline replied.</p>
<p>Arthas pointed at his phone. "You have my number, just in case you get lost," he replied jokingly.</p>
<p>The half-dragon smiled but said nothing in return. She got up from her chair and so did Arthas. They left the room together and Arthas brought her to the elevator, winking her goodbye before the doors were closed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arthas opened the door and allowed his client to leave the room, closing the door behind him when he left it too. He turned around and looked at his client whose facial expression hadn't changed at all. His vertically slit yellow eyes didn't reflect any form of emotion, neither did his scaly face. He appeared emotionless and bored but Arthas knew he was not emotionless. He had emotions like any other creature. He just didn't show them and refused to tell Arthas everything he knew and that was a big problem for Arthas.</p>
<p>It was the third meeting Arthas had with the saurok and the third time he had tried to convince him to tell him the entire truth. Without success. He had tried to make the lizard-man understand that he could only help him if he would work with him and tell him everything he knew. He could only convince the jury and the judges that the charge was not right if he would know everything.</p>
<p>"I cannot represent you and try to defend you if you don't tell me what really happened, Mr Greenscale. You have to be honest with me if we want to achieve the best outcome. If you don't talk to me, I have no information I can use to make the jury believe that you are not guilty. You won't get anywhere with that. I won't be able to lower your punishment with no information. I cannot help you if you refuse to talk to me."</p>
<p>A pleading look could be seen in Arthas' eyes, his voice was soft and soothing. He tried to appear as sympathetic as possible to make his client talk. Unfortunately, all of his attempts didn't pay off. It appeared that the saurok didn't want to talk.</p>
<p>Arthas exhaled loudly and ran his fingers over his closed eyes. He waited for a few moments and then opened them again, looking at Mr Greenscale. "Remember my words. You won't achieve anything if you refuse to talk to me, yourlawyer. The worst that can happen is that they put you in jail. Do you want that?"</p>
<p>The lizard-man didn't react at first but then he shook his head silently.</p>
<p>Arthas exhaled loudly, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "I'll give you a few days to consider everything... If you still refuse to speak to me then... I don't know... I can't represent you then. I'm sorry but that's how things work. There is no way I'll win that case or at least lower your penalty. I have a reputation to maintain. The people will joke about me if I appear in the courtroom unprepared. You will get a court-appointed defence counsel if you do not want to talk to me. Trust me, you don't want to get one."</p>
<p>The saurok muttered something in a foreign language and turned around, walking away without saying goodbye. Arthas watched the saurok walking through the corridor, vanishing behind a corner. Arthas shook his head in disappointment, thinking about a way he could convince his client to open up to him and tell him everything he knew. Arthas couldn't do anything without knowing what really happened from his client's point of view. He needed information. He was powerless without them.</p>
<p>Arthas sighed and made his way back to his office, noticing that most of his employees went home already. He took a peek at his wristwatch, a silver Rolex, finding out that it was already nineteen o'clock. Originally, the appointment would have started at sixteen o'clock but his client showed up almost two hours too late. At least Arthas had been able to work in the meantime but he hadn't been as productive as he usually was. He couldn't fully concentrate on his tasks, worrying that something might have happened to his client.</p>
<p>Not to mention that many questions about the case had been running through his mind, distracting him more often than he would have liked. He couldn't believe that his client had done this. He knew Mr Greenscale for years, he knew that he was not a very friendly person but he would have never thought of him as a violent person. There was something off about this case but Arthas couldn't tell what it was because he had no information. He only knew of the charge.</p>
<p>Mr Greenscale was accused of physically harming another living being. Arthas knew the identity of the victim but not more. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the jury, the judges and the public. He needed to find out more or he could not represent the saurok. He had to find a way to make him speak.</p>
<p>Arthas sighed as he closed the door behind him and stepped into his office, finding out that Selania was still there. She was still sitting behind her desk and typing on her computer. She blew a strand of hair out of her face the moment Arthas passed her. Her eyes lightened up, her gaze fell on her boss who approached his desk without hesitation. She turned her head, her lips formed a delightful smile. "You are back, boss. How did it go?"</p>
<p>Arthas dropped onto his chair, flung his briefcase onto his desk and exhaled loudly. He stretched his legs out and put his head back, closing his eyes. He took deep breaths and remained silent. He opened his eyes eventually, looking at the dark-skinned woman who was regarding him curiously.</p>
<p>"Are you okay, Mr Menethil?"</p>
<p>"Not really. I'm stressed, overworked, frustrated and much more. But you already know that."</p>
<p>"Is there <em>anything</em> I can do for you?" she asked. Arthas didn't miss the way she pronounced the word anything but he didn't comment on it. He didn't really want to know what she had in mind.</p>
<p>He shook his head slowly. "No thank you, Selania. I'm fine. I just need a small pause and then I will continue with my work."</p>
<p>Selania raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I could give you a massage if you want."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the offer but I'll pass."</p>
<p>"Are you sure? I'm very good at massaging people. You will feel a lot better once I kneaded your stiff, well-developed muscles. Your shoulders and your back will thank me once I'm done."</p>
<p>Arthas shook his head. "I'm fine." He didn't miss the disappointed look on the face of his secretary but he said nothing about it. He averted his gaze and turned his computer on, checking his mails.</p>
<p>"Tell me when you have changed your mind," Selania said.</p>
<p>"I will," Arthas replied quietly. He pulled his business phone out of his pocket once he was done reading his e-mails, checking if he got any texts from very important businessmen and women who had his number. He didn't get any in the past hour. He put the phone on his desk and checked if he got any messages on his private phone. He got indeed.</p>
<p>He had twenty unread messages. Seventeen were from a chat group where Uther, Falric, Marwyn, a few other friends and he were in<strong>.</strong> He skimmed through them, realising that these messages were unimportant. He returned to his chats, his gaze fell on the chat beneath the group chat.</p>
<p><em>Honey</em> was the name of the contact who had sent him three messages. Arthas was wondering what Jaina had written to him, so he didn't hesitate to open the chat.</p>
<p>
  <em>12.45</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I hope you are having a great day, honey. I know that you have much work to do but I hope you could come home today earlier than usual. I need to talk to you about something. It's not urgent but I would be happy if you could make it. Not only to talk to me but also spend some time with your children and me. They miss you. We miss you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>14.47</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Now that I thought about what I wanted to talk to you about, I came to the conclusion that it's not really that important. I can solve this problem alone. You don't have to leave work because of that.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>14.51</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I still prefer it when you come home before the little ones go to bed. It is up to you, I don't want to put you under pressure. Love you.</em>
</p>
<p>Arthas typed a response without hesitation, without thinking much about what words to use.</p>
<p>
  <em>I'll try but I cannot promise anything. There is still plenty of work to do. I'm sorry if I won't manage to get home before the little ones go to bed.</em>
</p>
<p>Arthas waited for a few seconds after he had sent the message and switched off the screen<strong>,</strong> putting the phone aside.</p>
<p>"Any important news?" Selania asked.</p>
<p>Arthas shook his head. "Not really. Just my wife who texted me. I didn't receive any message from one of our clients. That's all we would have needed. Another problem we would have to solve."</p>
<p>"At least that. We already have so much to work on, we don't need more work to do."</p>
<p>"Let's hope that we don't get more e-mails we have to answer. I don't want to work until midnight."</p>
<p>"Me neither," responded his secretary.</p>
<p>Arthas said nothing in return and turned his head, his gaze fell on his screen. He checked his mails once again, sighing out in relief that none had arrived in the meantime. He minimized the window, returning his focus to the next case he had to work on.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Jaina reloaded the chat once again, finding out that Arthas had written nothing else since he had sent her a reply an hour ago. He had promised to return home as soon as he could but he had also written that he was not sure if he would make it in time. It looked very much like he would not make it home again before their children would go to bed. Another day where their children wouldn't see their father at all. Another day where they had to go to bed without Arthas kissing them goodnight. Another day Jaina couldn't spend time with her beloved husband.</p>
<p>Another day she had to take care of their children alone. In the last few weeks, she had had the impression from time to time that she was a single parent and not a married woman with a supportive husband. The only thing Arthas did was to bring their children to their schools but he didn't even do that every day. He only did it when he had the time, which was not always the case.</p>
<p>Often Jaina was the one who had to make them breakfast, dress them and bring them to their schools. She also had to pick them up after work and spend time with them. She had to help Uther with his homework alone and look after them. She couldn't just leave the house without them and meet with her friends or do something else. She usually had to take them with her. Sometimes, she could ask her brother, her mother or her sister-in-law to look after them but they didn't always have time. Jaina rarely got the chance to go out and spend some time for herself.</p>
<p>She couldn't really blame Arthas for that. She understood how important his job was and she knew how important it was to him. She knew he would do anything for his company and wouldn't hesitate to do overwork to cover up all the cases and help as many people as possible. His company belonged to the most important law firms in California. His job was to help people whenever he could.</p>
<p>She knew that his company wouldn't be on the top if he wouldn't work so hard. The company depended on him. Arthas had always carried great responsibility when he had joined the company and began to work with his father. Since his father's death, his responsibilities had multiplied. Because of his commitment, the company endured. Because of his strong will and his determination, the company didn't go down and the jobs of thousands of people had been secured. The company heavily depended on him.</p>
<p>Jaina understood how important Arthas' commitment was but she still wished he could find a balance between his work life and family life. In the past weeks, his family life had almost been non-existent while his work life had taken over. He had rarely found the time to do something with his family.</p>
<p>Jaina didn't need him to go with them somewhere. She would already be happy if he would show up for the evening meal and bring their children to bed. She wished that Arthas could work from home so that he was at least physically there and his children could see him. But she knew that wasn't possible because he needed to be present in the company and make sure that everything ran smoothly.</p>
<p>If only Arthas could come home in the late afternoon and continue working from there. That way he could at least join dinner and help her bring Uther and Jasmine to bed. Jaina had to propose this idea to him the next time she would see him. Provided that he was still awake enough to hold a conversation. She had to talk to him as soon as possible. Not about the inappropriate picture, she didn't want to bother him with something silly like that. She had to deal with that alone. Or maybe not. Maybe she could ask Vereesa for help but first, she had to confront her with the drawings.</p>
<p>If she would get the chance to talk to Arthas, she would talk about more important things than the drawing of an obsessed student. She would talk about his work and their family, especially their children. Maybe she should go to him and talk to him instead of waiting for a day when he would return home earlier than usual. She knew he didn't like it when she would show up unannounced but maybe it was necessary to finally achieve something. Jaina liked the idea but she didn't make a decision yet. She would think about it later and consider if she should do it or not.</p>
<p>A soft, angelic voice brought her back to reality and made her look up from her phone. She put it aside, her gaze wandered to her daughter who was regarding her thoughtfully. Her son was staring at his plate and toying with his food. He had not eaten much yet.</p>
<p>"Is something wrong, mommy?" Jasmine asked worriedly.</p>
<p>Jaina smiled at her daughter sweetly and gave her best to not look worried. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me."</p>
<p>"But you seemed so sad when you have looked at your phone."</p>
<p>"But I'm not sad. Maybe I just appeared to be sad but I'm not. Promised," Jaina replied. It was not really a lie but not the whole truth either. She wished she could tell her children the truth but she didn't want to bother them or make them think badly of their father. She had to be strong for them and she couldn't allow herself to let her guard down. She had to give them hope.</p>
<p>Jasmine put her fork aside and leaned over the table, putting her tiny hand on Jaina's. "I'm here for you, mommy." She didn't say more because she didn't know how to express her thoughts correctly with the words she knew but Jaina understood what she wanted to say. She would be always there for her mother. Jaina smiled at her. It was supposed to be the other way around. She had to be there for them and take care of them and not the other way around.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, she was glad that they would help her whenever they could. They usually didn't argue with her and followed her orders without hesitation. They didn't make her daily life more difficult than it already was. Especially Uther was very supportive. He always fulfilled the tasks she gave him and always looked after his sister when Jaina had to make dinner, clean the house or do something else. Jaina was grateful that he was such a well-behaving understanding boy. Not all children his age were like him. She was very proud of him and also of Jasmine.</p>
<p>Jaina looked at him, her smile didn't leave her lips as she watched him poking around in his food. "What is wrong, honey? Is something wrong with your food?"</p>
<p>Uther shook his head slowly. "The food is fine."</p>
<p>"What's wrong then? I made your favourite food for you. Spaghetti with Bolognese and sausage cubes. Why don't you want to eat?" she asked, sounding a bit worried.</p>
<p>Uther exhaled slowly, refusing to lift his head to look at his mother. "I don't want to eat without dad."</p>
<p>The smile left Jaina's lips, a comforting expression appeared on her face. She reached out and placed her hand on the one of Uther's that was not holding the fork. "I understand you, Uther. I really do but your father cannot be here today. As I told you, he is still at work. The ones who work for your father need his help. They cannot do things without him."</p>
<p>She noticed that Uther clenched his fist but remained calm and continued to stare at his spaghetti which threatened to get cold if he wouldn't eat them soon. "I hate father's work," he muttered to himself.</p>
<p>Jaina sighed. Uther had always been the more reasonable of her children because he was the oldest. He had always shown his understanding of the current situation and accepted his mother's explanations without questioning her. It seemed that he was not always as understanding as Jaina thought him to be.</p>
<p>"Don't say that, Uther. We don't want this kind of negativity in our household. I understand that you are sad because you miss your father. I understand because I miss him the same way you do. I wish he could be home every day at least for dinner and saying goodnight to you but that's very difficult for him these days. He has a lot of work to do but he promised me that things will get better. We will soon be able to have dinner with him again. You just have to be patient."</p>
<p>Uther said nothing in return. His gaze still rested on his plate and his fist was still clenched. His body was a little tense but it relaxed quickly as Jaina ran her fingers over the back of his hand. Her soft touch soothed him and caused him to calm down. Even though he was no longer upset, he still refused to eat.</p>
<p>"I'm not hungry," he said and stood up, beginning to walk away from the table. Jaina caught his left arm at the last moment, preventing him from getting out of her reach. "Slow down, honey. Your sister and I are not done eating yet."</p>
<p>There was a defiant look on Uther's face but he said nothing and merely nodded after a few moments. Jaina let go of his arm, guided him back to his chair and moved it closer to the table once he had sat down. It was obvious that he was slightly sulking.</p>
<p>Jaina had just praised him in her thoughts and now he just did the opposite of what she had praised. He was making things harder for her instead of easier. She didn't hold his misbehaviour against him. He was just a child after all. A child who missed his father. A child who wanted to spend time and eat dinner with both parents. Not with just one. With both. Mother and father.</p>
<p>She understood him perfectly, so she was lenient with him. Nevertheless, she had to make sure that he wouldn't misbehave and become impertinent. If he would do that, she would have no other choice than reprimand him and scold him. She just hoped he wouldn't make things more difficult for all of them. His reaction was another reason why she had to talk to Arthas. She had to visit him at work. Not today but as soon as she could.</p>
<p>"Finished," Jasmine shouted happily, causing her mother to look at her. Jaina smiled and a soft laugh escaped her lips as she looked into Jasmine's dirty face. A lot of Bolognese sauce was smeared around her mouth and there were even noodles in her hair. Jaina had no idea how her daughter had managed to do that but she found it funny for some reason.</p>
<p>"Looks like more sauce sticks on your face than made it into your mouth, princess. You were supposed to eat the spaghetti and not spread them all over your face."</p>
<p>Jasmine grinned at her mother and laughed. She said nothing in return and just watched her mother cleaning her face with a piece of kitchen paper.</p>
<p>"Half of your meal may have landed on your face but you cleaned your plate at least which means that you earned yourself a reward," Jaina said softly.</p>
<p>Jasmine stretched her arms in the air, her face reflected delight and anticipation. "PUDDIN! PUDDIN!" she screamed happily and clapped with her hands. Jaina stood up from her chair and walked over to the fridge, opening the tall door. She leaned forward, reaching one of the shelves in the middle and grabbed something. It was a small yellow plastic cup which lid showed the right arm of a cartoon figure. Together with the lids of three other cups, it made up a picture. A lion standing on two legs, wearing a tricot and carrying a basketball in his hand.</p>
<p>Jaina took a little spoon out of the drawer where the cutlery always was and put it and the cup in front of her cheering daughter. Jasmine's eyes lightened up, her hands grabbed the cup and tried to open it. Jasmine didn't manage to remove the lid of her favourite pudding, so Jaina had to step in and help her. She put the removed lid aside, watching her daughter picking up the spoon and beginning to eat.</p>
<p>It was obvious that the little girl enjoyed the dessert, the expression on her face was proof enough. Jaina watched her with a smile on her face, noticing out of the corner of her eyes that Uther picked up his fork and began to eat his spaghetti. She was not sure if he wanted to eat his meal because he was hungry or because he wanted to eat pudding too. Nevertheless, she was happy that he ate something and instead of sulking.</p>
<p>Jaina also ate spaghetti but not as much as she used to. She was on a diet, so she didn't eat more than half a plate. She still felt hungry but she ignored the feeling. She was sure she would eat some fruits later to satisfy her hunger, until then she had to endure. She had read much about diets but the reality was much different than the theory. The desire to eat more was strong. Her body was trying to convince her to eat more but she didn't listen to the signs it gave her. Not even a loud stomach rumble could change her opinion. She stayed strong.</p>
<p>The best way to stop her from thinking about eating was to do something that would demand her whole attention. Like playing with her children, watching tv or writing. Her children had to go to bed soon, so the first option wouldn't be possible. The second and third sounded promising.</p>
<p>Jaina handed Uther his pudding once he ate all of his spaghetti. His face looked less dirty than Jasmine's had used to look before Jaina had cleaned her. He removed the lid without help and began to eat it. Unlike his sister, he didn't devour the content in less than a minute. He ate his dessert slowly, only shoving small portions on his spoon so that he could enjoy the pudding much longer.</p>
<p>Jaina watched him with a smile on her lips, saying nothing at all. She wished she could sit with them at the table much longer but it was already late, so she had to make them ready for bed. It might be Friday, meaning they wouldn't have to go to school the next day, but that didn't mean they could stay up longer than twenty-one o'clock. They had to go to bed because they had to get enough sleep, especially Jasmine who was much younger than her brother.</p>
<p>Jaina got up and pulled Jasmine's chair out, waiting until the small girl had jumped off. She moved the chair back to the table and took Jasmine's hand, guiding her out of the dining room to the bathroom. Uther followed them and brushed his teeth without his mother reminding him to do so. Jaina helped her daughter to reach the most difficult corners of her mouth with the head of her toothbrush.</p>
<p>She didn't need as long as expected to bring her children to bed. They had cooperated which had saved Jaina a lot of time and Jasmine had been so tired that she had fallen asleep without demanding to hear a goodnight story. Uther hadn't fallen asleep yet when Jaina kissed him goodnight but he didn't insist on a goodnight story. His eyes rested on her, his lips were pressed together and no sound escaped them when Jaina turned around and walked towards the door. Just at the moment as Jaina reached the door, Uther spoke to her. "I really miss dad."</p>
<p>Jaina stopped in her movement and turned around slowly, her facial expression reflected how sorry she was. "I'll speak to your father and try to convince him to come home for dinner and do the rest of his work at home. I'll try but I cannot promise anything."</p>
<p>Uther merely nodded and yawned, covering his mouth with his hand too late. He muttered something which Jaina couldn't understand and then closed his eyes. He fell asleep within mere seconds, causing a small smile to appear on Jaina's lips. She watched him for several minutes before she turned off the light and closed the door quietly. She checked on Jasmine again, finding her still sleeping, before she went back to the ground floor. To the dining room to be exact.</p>
<p>She cleared the table and put the dirty dishes and cutlery in the dishwasher. She turned it on and closed the door, grabbing two apples and a banana from the fruit-dish in the middle of the table before she went to the living room.</p>
<p>She dropped onto the settee, stretched her legs out and put her head on the armrest. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She opened them after a while, a quick glance at the digital clock on the cooker told her how late it was. Almost 23 o'clock. She had napped for nearly two hours but still felt tired. The growling of her stomach reminded her to eat something. She picked up the apples and the banana, she had placed on the coffee table before she had closed her eyes, and took a bite from the red apple.</p>
<p>It was juicy, just the way Jaina preferred it. She ate the apples, leaving nothing but the cores behind. She peeled the banana and eat it with relish. She threw the left-overs in the trash and made her way to the bedroom. She slipped into comfortable pyjamas and pulled off her socks, discarding them on the floor. She slipped beneath the blanket and put her head on her pillow, picking up her tablet from her nightstand.</p>
<p>Unlike her son, she didn't use the tablet to watch videos or play some games. She used it to write. Usually, she wrote on her laptop but not in bed. In bed, she always used her tablet even though she was slower that way. The main reason was that she felt much more comfortable, especially because she didn't need to sit to write. She would have to sit in her bed to write effectively. With her tablet, she could lay comfortably and write at the same time. The only negative aspect beside the lower writing speed was the fact that the risk of her falling asleep in the middle was much higher that way.</p>
<p>Jaina dealt with the risk by quick-saving her document every few minutes, even in a cloud in which she could log into from any of her devices. That way, Jaina didn't need to be afraid about deleting her work by accidentally hitting a button or key because everything was saved in her cloud, not to mention that she had another back-up on a USB-stick.</p>
<p>She wrote the nextchapter of her book until she got too tired to continue. She had troubles keeping her eyes open and was no longer able to suppress her yawns when she saved everything and put the tablet on her bedside table. She covered her whole body with the blanket, pressing the back of her head deep into the blue comfortable pillow.</p>
<p>A small amount of sadness overcame her when her gaze landed on the empty left half of the bed. Her children were not the only ones who missed Arthas. Jaina missed her husband much more than she wanted to admit. She hated being alone with the children, hated eating alone with them. She hated going to bed alone and falling asleep alone. She hated that there was no one she could snuggle up against. None one she could cuddle with and exchange caresses when she felt needy. There was no comforting warmth that was radiated by a body. Nothing that could keep her warm during cold nights except for her blankets. She felt pretty lonely and she hated that feeling more than anything else.</p>
<p>It reminded her of the time before she had met Arthas. A time where she had not been in a relationship with anyone. A time where had slept alone during nights.</p>
<p>If only Arthas would make it home every day before she would go to bed. She didn't need to spend many hours with him, half an hour would be enough for her. She would love to go to bed with him and fall asleep in his arms. That was all she was asking for. She could only hope that things would become normal again. She hoped that a visit to Arthas at work would make things better. She missed her husband and her children missed their father.</p>
<p>Her last thoughts were about Arthas before she fell asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thank you again for inviting me," Jaina said right before she took a careful sip from the brown liquid in her cup.</p>
<p>Vereesa leaned back against the soft material of the settee and gave her best friend a small smile. "No need to thank me, Jaina. I really wanted to see you, especially because we didn't spend much time together outside our job. I have to admit that I missed you."</p>
<p>Jaina returned her smile. "I missed you too."</p>
<p>"I assume that you have been pretty busy lately. Does Arthas still show up late at home?" Vereesa asked curiously. One of her silver eyebrows was raised.</p>
<p>"He does. He still works from early in the morning to almost midnight. The situation in his company turned upside down with his father's death. Our family life has changed drastically. Not only do the little ones and I rarely see Arthas, but he also doesn't do himself a favour by overworking every day. He is even working on the weekends. He does not work as long as he does on weekdays but still long enough. We cannot do much together as a family."</p>
<p>"Have you talked to him about this matter?" Vereesa asked and then took a bite of the piece of cake she had put on her small plate.</p>
<p>Jaina also took a bite of the delicious cherry cake she had already tried a few minutes earlier. "I did but nothing has changed yet even though he promised to not work so long. Two days ago he promised the same when he told me that he hired more co-workers.</p>
<p>All I can do is hope for the best. Well, maybe there is something I can do. I thought about visiting him at work and talking to him once again. Maybe my chances to convince him are better when he is not tired from a hard-working day. I just need to talk to him when he is still able to listen and think about what I say. I won't achieve anything if I talk to him when he is struggling to keep his eyes open."</p>
<p>"I hope you two find a solution. I understand that his job is very important to him, but so should be his family. He cannot let you do everything alone. Taking care of the children, running the household and so on. You have a life too. You have friends you want to spend time with not to mention a book you want to finish and publish one day. Nevertheless, keep in mind how important the company is to him. Apart from the memories and the money he inherited, the company is everything Arthas has left of his father."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded, a quiet sigh escaped her lips. "I know that his father built this company out of nothing and lead it for fifty years. It is in some sort of a crisis since Terenas' death and Arthas does everything in his power to save it. He doesn't want it to go down, not after everything his father did since the foundation. I understand that but I still feel forgotten from time to time. So do the little ones. They ask for their father almost every day and I hate that I have to tell them excuses why their father is not able to spend time with them. They are not old enough to understand how important Arthas' work is and what is at stake. It hurts me to see the disappointed looks on their faces whenever I tell them that their father won't come home."</p>
<p>Vereesa leaned forward a little and gave Jaina a comforting look. "Visiting him at work is the best you can do right now. I wish I could help you somehow but my means are limited. In fact, there is not much I can do. Arthas is friends with Rhonin, maybe I can talk to him. Maybe Rhonin can make Arthas understand that he is leaving his family in the lure."</p>
<p>"Leaving us in the lure is a bit harsh but I understand what you mean," replied Jaina. Even though things between her and Arthas were not optimal, she still didn't hesitate to defend him when necessary.</p>
<p>"You are right, I didn't mean to formulate like this. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>Jaina gave her best friend a gentle smile. "No need to be sorry, honey."</p>
<p>The high elf mimicked her smile but said nothing.</p>
<p>"How are things going for you, Vereesa?" Jaina asked to break the silence.</p>
<p>"Well, except that my relationship with my sister doesn't get better no matter what I do, I'm fine."</p>
<p>Jaina tilted her head a little and raised an eyebrow. A questioning look appeared on her face. "Is Sylvanas still mad at you? After all these years?"</p>
<p>Vereesa sighed, considering the right words for a reply. "Well, kinda... She doesn't hate me but she is not very fond of me."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could help you but I barely know her. There is not much I can do."</p>
<p>"I appreciate your will to help me but that is something I have to fix alone. It's my fault that my relationship with Sylvanas is not what it used to be when we were younger. I shouldn't have let her down and back off. It's my fault and I have to deal with the consequences."</p>
<p>Jaina leaned forward as she noticed the sad look in Vereesa's beautiful blue eyes and put a hand on her knee, caressing it softly. The elf stopped to look at her fingers and shifted her gaze to her best friend, finding her smiling at her. "Just keep in mind that I will support you whenever I can, just like you support me whenever I need help. You can come to me anytime if you need advice. Don't forget that."</p>
<p>The silver-haired woman nodded slowly. "Thanks, J. I will keep that in mind."</p>
<p>"I hope that at least your relationship with Alleria is still good."</p>
<p>"Don't worry, we are still very close after all this time. Alleria changed since she returned from Europe. She lived there for ten years with her husband and their son and only came back recently. We met a few times and I didn't notice any changes. Our relationship is still as strong as it was before Alleria left America.</p>
<p>"Did she assimilate your brother's death?"</p>
<p>Vereesa's happy expression faded and was replaced by a neutral one. "I don't know. I didn't mention him so far. You must know that Lirath's death affected her the most of all of us. Wherever she went, she was reminded of him, so she decided to leave the city. She was about to move to a much smaller city when she got a job offer in Europe. I don't know if she managed to cope with his death... I just hope she did..."</p>
<p>"Maybe you should talk to her and approach this topic in slow and careful steps. If his death still troubles her, you should be there for her and help her to find a way to cope with the past."</p>
<p>Vereesa gave her an agreeing nod. "You are right, J."</p>
<p>"Family is more important than we realize. You can always find new friends but you cannot find a new family. We should do everything in our power to keep good relationships with our families. I would do everything in my power to re-establish my relationship with my family, especially with my mom. But as you know, my mother doesn't want to see me..."</p>
<p>Jaina took a deep breath, a small amount of sadness appeared in her eyes as she continued. "She still blames me for my father's death and refuses to meet with me. She ignores my calls and my messages and hasn't shown up at my birthday parties since the accident."</p>
<p>Jaina's voices perfectly reflected that speaking about this topic was not easy for her. It was a sensitive subject for her. A subject she generally did not like to talk about. She often got very emotional when even thinking about her father. She still hadn't gotten over his death, she still blamed herself for what had happened.</p>
<p>If only she had not been so drunk that day... The incident wouldn't have happened then. And her father would still be alive. She was not fully responsible, but in her mother's eyes she was.</p>
<p>Jaina was not sure if she would ever be able to forgive herself. At least not as long as her mother wouldn't forgive her. She could only hope that her mother would see things differently one day. Until then, she had to live with the guilt that was gnawing at her.</p>
<p>Jaina was brought out of her dismal thoughts by a hand that was placed on her shoulder. She lifted her gaze, which had rested on her hands while she had been lost in thoughts, and looked at Vereesa who gave her a comforting look. It was obvious that Vereesa would do anything in her power to make her feel better. She would be there for her friend and help her whenever she could. She wouldn't let her down.</p>
<p>Jaina leaned back eventually, giving her best friend a small nod. Vereesa leaned back too, pouring more coffee into her cup. She picked it up and brought it to her lips, taking a sip. They didn't say anything for the next few minutes, doing nothing but looking at each other. They had no idea what they should talk about. In the end, it was the high elf who cleared her throat and broke the uncomfortable silence that way.</p>
<p>"Your mother will come to her senses one day. You just need to give her more time. One day she will realise that it was not your fault, I'm sure she will."</p>
<p>Jaina barely nodded but said nothing, a conflicted expression could be seen on her face.</p>
<p>Vereesa cleared her throat again after a while, getting Jaina's attention. "Let's talk about something else. Something that doesn't make you depressive."</p>
<p>"I guess we shouldn't talk about my sex life then," Jaina said half-jokingly.</p>
<p>Vereesa scratched her head, not knowing what to answer. She was silent at first but then formulated a response once she wound the right words. "You know you can talk to me about <em>anything</em>. Literally anything. It's not the first time we talked about sex and other intimate topics."</p>
<p>Jaina leaned her head against the settee, exhaling loudly. She turned her head, checking the room. The doors were closed and no one except for them was inside. There was no way anyone could hear her as long as she wouldn't speak too loudly. She knew that her children and Vereesa's twins were in the children's room and played together. There was no way they could hear them. Nevertheless, Jaina leaned forward and lowered her voice a little.</p>
<p>"My sex life has... suffered a little over the past months. I feel neglected. Most of the times, Arthas is either too tired for sex when he comes home or I fall asleep before he comes home. There have not been many opportunities in the past two months and every time something has come up. Sometimes I have the fear that his tiredness is not the reason why he rejects my attempts. Sometimes I fear I'm not attractive enough for him. I'm thirty-six years old after all. What if he no longer finds me attractive? That's my greatest fear."</p>
<p>Vereesa took Jaina's hand and run her thumb over its back, her blue glowing eyes didn't leave Jaina's. "You are a very attractive woman, Jaina. No one who has eyes and is attracted to women would deny that. There is no reason for you to be worried about it."</p>
<p>"Are you sure about that?" Jaina asked insecurely.</p>
<p>Vereesa smiled. "I am. I'm sure you look a lot more attractive without clothes, not to mention in sexy underwear. I'm certain that there is no way Arthas can resist you as long as he is not at the edge of falling asleep."</p>
<p>"Maybe you are right," Jaina muttered.</p>
<p>"I have seen you naked a few times already. The last time is not so long ago. Remember the hot spring in Calistoga?"</p>
<p>Soft laughter escaped Jaina's lips as she remembered the day and the funny things that had happened there. "I do indeed. The water was so warm and pleasant. I would never have left the hot spring if you hadn't dragged me out."</p>
<p>"That was a fun day indeed. We have to do that again one day. Anyway, I just wanted to say that you are a very attractive woman, one of the most beautiful women I know. I often notice the glances men and women give you every day. You don't need to be worried about the way you look. You may be thirty-six years old but you don't look older than twenty-eight."</p>
<p>Jaina blushed. "Now you are flattering me, V."</p>
<p>Vereesa smiled. "I'm just telling the truth."</p>
<p>"So, do you have any tips for me?"</p>
<p>"You mean how to revive our sex life?"</p>
<p>Jaina nodded, a slight blush could be seen on her cheeks.</p>
<p>A thoughtful look appeared on the high elf's face. "Give me a few moments."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded again.</p>
<p>"What are Arthas' preferences again?" the high elf asked eventually. "I think you already told me that a while time ago, but it doesn't hurt to renew my memories."</p>
<p>Jaina told her quickly about Arthas' and her preferences, going into detail when necessary.</p>
<p>"It's no wonder Arthas focuses your breasts so much. They are so huge and full...I understand him even though I'm neither a man and nor am I attracted to women. I'm just stating facts. You have been blessed by nature and you know how to take advantage of what was given to you."</p>
<p>"I take that as a compliment."</p>
<p>"It was meant as a compliment," Vereesa replied with a smile on her lips.</p>
<p>"So, what do you recommend me to do?"</p>
<p>"Well, obviously you have to look for a day where Arthas is not too tired. He doesn't work overtime during the weekend, so maybe you have an opportunity on Friday or Saturday night after you brought the kids to bed. You could watch a romantic but also action-packed movie together. Start to kiss him and then try to seduce him when you notice that he is in the mood for more. Wearing sexy underwear beneath your clothes doesn't hurt either. Just do me a favour and don't make out on the settee. You don't want to scandalize the kids in case they get up and leave their rooms, do you?"</p>
<p>Jaina shook her head. "Of course not. I don't want them to see things that are not meant for their eyes. We have a TV in our bedroom, so we don't have to watch the movie in the living room. Also, Uther and Jasmine know that they have to knock at our bedroom door and wait for our response. They know that they are not allowed to enter without our permission."</p>
<p>"I assume I don't need to tell you what to do once you remove your clothes," Vereesa said with a teasing tone in her voice.</p>
<p>Jaina's cheeks took on a slight red shade as she shook her head again.</p>
<p>"I tried roleplay with Rhonin once, maybe that is something for you too."</p>
<p>"We'll never know if we don't try," responded Jaina.</p>
<p>Vereesa smiled but said nothing in return. She emptied her cup and ate another piece of cake, offering Jaina a piece. The blonde woman refused but thanked Vereesa who at least poured coffee into her cup. Jaina thanked her again and took a big gulp. They said nothing for a while and enjoyed the comfortable silence.</p>
<p>Jaina pulled her backpack, which laid on the settee since she had sat down, closer to her and opened it, taking a folder out. Vereesa raised an eyebrow and gave her friend a curious look, saying nothing.</p>
<p>"I need to show you something," Jaina said and handed the folder to the elf. Vereesa accepted it and regarded it curiously, looking up at Jaina again once she was one. "What is this?"</p>
<p>"This folder contains drawings one of my students made. I'm sure he made lots of them during my courses instead of listening to me."</p>
<p>Vereesa opened the folder carefully and took out the stack of drawings. She regarded the first, putting it on top of the coffee table once she had seen enough. She took a closer look at each drawing and put them on the coffee table one after one. Her face reflected confusion at first but that certain expression quickly changed. It turned into worry and then into heavy surprise and shock.</p>
<p>Jaina didn't need to look at the drawing to know which one Vereesa was currently looking at. Her red cheeks, open mouth and widened eyes made her suspect that it could only be the same drawing that had shocked her too. Vereesa said nothing while her gaze repeatedly switched back and forth between Jaina and the drawing.</p>
<p>It took her a while to find her voice. "This is..."</p>
<p>"Well-drawn?"</p>
<p>"That might be right but... I was looking for another word."</p>
<p>"Disgusting?"</p>
<p>Vereesa shook her head. "Inappropriate."</p>
<p>"I think the same."</p>
<p>"What is wrong with the student? Being obsessed with a teacher is one thing but drawing filthy stuff about them is another story..."</p>
<p>"I agree with you, V."</p>
<p>"Don't get me wrong, Jaina. You are a very beautiful woman but I would never...I mean I have imagined it from time to time but that's it." Vereesa bit her bottom lip nervously, her cheeks were almost as red as a tomato. "I just regard you as a friend and I know you feel the same about me." She cleared her throat, the redness of her cheeks faded slowly. "I have no idea why I just mentioned this..." she said quietly as she saw Jaina raising an eyebrow at her.</p>
<p>"Calm down, Vereesa. There is nothing you have to prove to me. You are acting as if you are the one who drew this but you didn't. A pervert did this. A pervert who lives in their own world and have no clue about reality. The students know that you and Rhonin are married and Arthas and I are married. Most students are aware of our close friendship. The artist must know that something between us will never happen, even if we would be single. We shouldn't rack our brains about the reason why the person drew this. Instead, we should figure out what we do about it."</p>
<p>"Is there anything we can do about it?" Vereesa asked. "It's freedom of art after all..."</p>
<p>"That might be right but I don't tolerate porn in my class. If he wants to draw his perverted stuff then he should do it in his free time and not in my class. Of course, I would prefer if he wouldn't do it at all but...," Jaina told.</p>
<p>"Do you have any idea what we should do?"</p>
<p>Jaina shook her head. "Not really. I have a few ideas but I'm not sure about them yet. That's why I ask for your opinion."</p>
<p>"Tell me about the ideas you have in mind."</p>
<p>"I don't want to go to the headteacher, so I suggest we talk to the student first but I'm not sure if that will help. What if he is too nervous to talk to us or if he refuses to talk to us?"</p>
<p>"Have you thought about someone else talking to him instead of us? Maybe the person won't be so nervous or feel ashamed in that case," Vereesa replied.</p>
<p>Jaina caressed her chin with her fingers, a thoughtful look could be seen on her face. "But who would do that? I don't want rumours to spread, so it should be someone we trust. Someone who knows us well enough and would never tell the other teachers about the drawings."</p>
<p>"What about Rhonin?" Vereesa asked. "I will tell him about the drawing anyway because we have no secrets from each other."</p>
<p>"Rhonin is a good choice. He is one of the most popular teachers. The chances that the student will talk if Rhonin approaches him alone are much higher than if we approach him alone or together," explained Jaina.</p>
<p>"I will talk to him when I see him."</p>
<p>"Where is he anyway?"</p>
<p>"He is hanging out with some of his friends. Nothing special. He will be back before the evening meal."</p>
<p>Jaina smiled. "That's great. That way, I can still see him and we can spend some time together before I have to bring the little ones home."</p>
<p>"If you don't mind, I would talk to Rhonin after you left."</p>
<p>"I don't mind at all. Do as you prefer."</p>
<p>Vereesa gave her a small smile. "Now that we came to an agreement, is there anything else you want to talk about?"</p>
<p>Jaina thought about it for a few moments but then shook her head. "There is nothing I want to talk about."</p>
<p>"Did you receive any news from your car?" the elf asked interested.</p>
<p>"I did. They found the problem and managed to fix it. But don't ask me what it was. I have no clue about cars nor do I remember what they told me exactly. The important thing is that it works again."</p>
<p>"Repairs usually are not cheap but money is not one of your worries, is it? You earn pretty well, not to mention that Arthas must earn a lot. I doubt you have any money problems," replied Vereesa.</p>
<p>"Arthas does earn well indeed. Much more than just well, to be honest. He does earn by far more than I do. I only work part-time and I'm just a teacher after all. There are worlds between Arthas' earnings and mine but that's understandable. He runs one of the most successful law firms in California and they are not lacking contracts."</p>
<p>"You have three cars and live in a beautiful house in a rich area. Sometimes I envy you, Jaina," Vereesa said with a small smile on her lips.</p>
<p>"I envy you because of your unproblematic marriage. If only Arthas and I would spend as much time together as you and Rhonin do. You don't seem to have any problems while things between Arthas and me have not been easy in the past months."</p>
<p>Vereesa leaned forward and put a hand on Jaina's left shoulder, patting it softly. "Chin up, J. Everything will get better soon. I'm sure it will."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded but said nothing in return, staring at the empty plate in front of her. She only lifted her gaze when the door on the other side of the room was opened and four familiar persons rushed into the room.</p>
<p>Two blond humans and two red-haired half-elves. Jaina's children and Vereesa's and Rhonin's twins.</p>
<p>They rushed to the other side of the room, paying no attention to the adults on the settee. They left the room as quickly as they had entered it, leaving the door open so that their laughter can still be clearly heard minutes later.</p>
<p>Jaina chuckled. "Seems they have a lot of fun."</p>
<p>"Guess who won't have fun cleaning the house?" asked Vereesa amused.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I will help you before I go."</p>
<p>Vereesa lifted a hand. "No need to."</p>
<p>"But I still want."</p>
<p>"Fine. At least we have plenty of time left before we have to do that."</p>
<p>Jaina smiled. "There is nothing better than chilling on the settee with my best friend."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jaina shut down the engine of her vehicle, turned the key to the left and pulled it out. She threw the key in her handbag that stood on the front passenger seat and picked it up, opening the driver's door with the other hand. She left her car without hesitation and closed the door a few moments later. She reached into her handbag and pressed a button on the car key, locking the doors that way.</p>
<p>She wiped a strand of hair out of her face before she made her way to the opposite side of the large room, she was in. She reached the door within a minute, leaving the underground car park. The sounds of her heels on the white tiles couldn't be overheard but fortunately for her, no one else was in the corridor she was walking through. Even if there would be someone, they wouldn't lose a word about it. Especially those who knew who she was.</p>
<p>Jaina reached the elevator area, taking the one in the middle. She had always asked herself why five elevators had been built right next to each other but she had never asked Arthas or his father about the reason. She could ask Arthas when she saw him but she had other topics she wanted to discuss with him. Finding out the reason for the five elevators was not very important for her. Convincing Arthas of her idea was way much more important than finding out meaningless information.</p>
<p>She pressed the button with the number five, regarding herself in the slim but tall mirror opposite the control panel. Her blonde hair was combed to the right side, her glasses sat on the bridge of her nose and her face was covered by a slight, barely recognizable layer of make-up. She wore a white blouse with long sleeves and a low neckline, a blue skirt that only reached to her knees and didn't cover her shines. Her outfit was completed by a pair of white high heels that were neither too cheap nor not too expensive.</p>
<p>She looked stunning and she knew it.</p>
<p>With that outfit, she would catch anyone's attention but she only needed the attention of a certain person. She needed Arthas to not focus on his work and listen to her. She was certain that this outfit will be enough to get his attention. No matter how busy he was, she was certain he would give her the attention she deserved.</p>
<p>Jaina took a silver etui out of her handbag and opened it. In it were five lipsticks with different colours and Jaina chose the dark red one. She put a thin layer on her lower lip, pressing her lips together to spread the lipstick on her upper lip. She put the lipstick back in the etui which landed in her handbag again. She smiled at her reflection before she left the cabin of the elevator that had reached its destination in the meantime.</p>
<p>Unlike the previous corridor she had walked through, the ground of the one she was currently walking through was covered by a blue carpet. That way, the sounds of her high heels were not loud, so people wouldn't recognise her from didn't meet any of Arthas' employees when she left the corridor quickly.</p>
<p>But that changed quickly. The closer she came to the main office on the fifth floor, the more employees she met. She recognized many of them but not everyone. There were some persons she had seen before but couldn't remember their names but there were also people she had never seen before or didn't remember at all.</p>
<p>Those employees who recognized her greeted her politely and formally but there were also a few individuals who didn't say a word to her nor made a polite gesture. Jaina was aware that those she had met were impressed by her outfit choice. She could almost feel their gazes on certain areas of her body.</p>
<p>The gazes mostly belonged to men but there were also a few women who had ogled her a bit too obviously. At least Jaina knew that her outfit fulfilled its purpose. She could only hope that Arthas would also look at her and not just at the screen of his computer.</p>
<p>If there was something she really hated about Arthas it was when he was still typing on his keyboard and only listened to her with one ear while they had a discussion. He had done that way too often for her liking in the past months. Sometimes she had the impression that Arthas gave his computer more attention than her. She knew it was silly to think that his computer was more important to him than her, but she still got this impression from time to time. Arthas spent a lot of time with his computer. Instead of spending time with her and their children, he often spent most of his free time at work.</p>
<p>Jaina felt more pairs of eyes on her when she entered the huge office. She spotted more familiar faces but also faces she had never seen before when she let her gaze wander. She was greeted by lots of people and greeted all of them in return. She spotted Calia next to the desk of a young male orc who was showing her something on his screen. The blonde woman noticed Jaina's gaze on her and turned her head, finally looking at her. Her strained facial features softened and relaxed a little, the corners of her lips formed a small smile. Calia said something to the orc before she stepped away from his desk and headed over to her sister-in-law.</p>
<p>Before Jaina could do anything, she was pulled in a tight hug. She felt Calia's soft hands on her back and her chin on her left shoulder. She smelled the strong smell of Calia's expensive French perfume, identifying a combination of citrus fruits, fresh flowers and coconuts. It was not one of Jaina's favourites but it was not bad in her opinion. She could understand why Calia liked it so much that she used it regularly.</p>
<p>Calia caressed Jaina's back for a few moments before she pulled away and placed light kisses on Jaina's cheeks. "It's good to see you, J. I didn't expect you to pay us a visit anytime soon."</p>
<p>"It's good to see you too, Calia. I want to talk to Arthas, that's why I am here. As you might know, he stays at work way too long and rarely comes home before midnight. There is something I need to discuss with him and I don't want to wait for a day where he comes home earlier than usual. Who knows when that day will happen?"</p>
<p>Calia's smile faded a little but didn't disappear from her lips. "Work has become very stressful since the death of our father. Everyone has to work longer to keep the company running. Uther, Arthas and I are the ones who work the hardest and stay in the company the longest every day. I know that things are not optimal for everyone, so I hope you show leniency towards him."</p>
<p>Jaina touched Calia's left hand softly and caressed the back of her hand with two of her fingers. "I do. Nevertheless, I still have to talk to him about something. I wish I could talk to you much longer but I really need to talk to him. We could talk later if there is still time but I assume that you have much work to do."</p>
<p>Calia nodded. "You are not wrong. Even if we don't find the time to chat a little, there are still plenty of other opportunities. It's not that I will never see you again, J."</p>
<p>Jaina smiled. "You are right." She stared into Calia's blue eyes for a split second before she averted her gaze and looked at the door to Arthas' office. "I should go before he is too busy for me."</p>
<p>Calia smirked as she eyed Jaina. "I'm sure he'll have the time to listen to you wearing this outfit. Or he will make the time, I'm sure about that."</p>
<p>Jaina didn't miss the teasing tone in Calia's voice but she chose to not comment about it. She squeezed her friend's hand briefly before she walked away from her and approached her husband's office. There was no window, so she could not see what Arthas was doing at the moment nor could she know if he was in his office. He could be anywhere else. Jaina was hoping he was in his office so that she didn't have to look for him first. She knocked at the door two times, waiting patiently. The door was opened about thirty seconds later and a dark-skinned woman with red-dyed hair came into her sight.</p>
<p>The first thing Jaina noticed was that the woman's outfit was not much different from hers. That woman also wore a blouse with a low neckline but her skirt was a little longer than Jaina's and was green and not blue. Jaina had never seen that woman before but the look in the redhead's eyes told Jaina that she knew who she was. The first thing that woman did was to lower her head in respect. She even bowed a little and kissed the back of Jaina's hand after she had shaken it.</p>
<p>"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs Menethil. Your husband told me much about you, but I have to say that you are even more beautiful than he described."</p>
<p>Jaina raised her left brow a little and forced a small smile on her lips. She had not expected that to happen but she felt flattered nevertheless even though she knew that this strange woman had just said that to be polite or win her sympathy. Maybe both.</p>
<p>"It's also a pleasure to meet you..." Jaina paused, her gaze fell on the woman's fingers. She quickly noticed that she wore no wedding or engagement ring. "Miss..."</p>
<p>"Please call me Selania," the woman said.</p>
<p>Jaina gave her a small nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Selania. I assume you are Arthas' new secretary."</p>
<p>Selania rolled a curl between her fingers, a soft giggle escaped her lips. "New more or less."</p>
<p>"How long have you been working for my husband?"</p>
<p>"Three years."</p>
<p>Jaina's eyes widened. "Three years?" she asked surprised.</p>
<p>Selania nodded. "I replaced his previous secretary who has been fired because of sexual harassment three years ago."</p>
<p>"It surprises me that Arthas never mentioned you before," Jaina replied, her voice sounded a bit calmer than before. She was wondering why Arthas had never told her about Selania nor that he had fired his previous secretary because of sexual harassment. She also wondered why she had never seen Selania whenever she had visited Arthas at work in the past years.</p>
<p>If she would be paranoid, she might think that Arthas was hiding Selania from her but she wasn't paranoid. She knew Arthas for seventeen years. She knew him better than anyone else. Arthas would never have a relationship with another woman. He was the most honest, most honourable and most loyal man she knew. The idea of him cheating on her was completely out of the question for her.</p>
<p>Selania shrugged. "I'm just one of his many employees. I'm sure there are many others you don't know about."</p>
<p>"That's true," Jaina admitted.</p>
<p>"As I said before, your husband told me a lot about you. What a kind, friendly and lovely person you are. He also told me several times that you are the most beautiful woman he had ever seen." Her gaze fell on Jaina's cleavage, wandered to her waist and then to her legs before it fell back on her face. "He didn't exaggerate. You are stunningly beautiful."</p>
<p>A small blush appeared on Jaina's cheeks. "Thank you, Selania. As much as I like receiving compliments, I need to talk to Arthas. Is he in his office?"</p>
<p>Selania opened the door even wider and stepped aside so that Jaina could catch a glimpse of Arthas sitting behind his desk, typing continuously on his keyboard. He looked strained, his face was paler than usual and the rings beneath his eyes were unmistakable. He wore a blue and white checked shirt with long sleeves, the top part of his black suit hung over the backrest of the chair he was sitting on. He hadn't noticed her presence yet and he didn't even notice it when she entered the room. Only when Jaina stepped to his desk and cleared her throat, he looked away from his screen.</p>
<p>Arthas' blue eyes were widened in surprise, his lips were parted but not a single sound escape them. Arthas eventually managed to catch himself and got up from his chair, stepping out from behind his desk. He approached Jaina and put his hand on her left hip, pressing a quick kiss on her lips. Jaina returned the kiss which she enjoyed despite its short duration. The corners of her lips formed a smile as she saw Arthas stepping backwards and regarding her from head to toe. The look in his eyes was enough to tell Jaina that he liked the way she looked.</p>
<p>He stared at her much longer than necessary, clearing his throat when he realized that he had shamelessly ogled her while his secretary had also been in the room. The blush on his cheeks and the embarrassment in his eyes was barely recognizable. He spoke to Jaina once he found his voice again. "I'm surprised to see you, honey. It has been a while since the last time you visited me at work."</p>
<p>"Not much has changed since the last time I was here," Jaina admitted. "The office is still filled by dozens of employees and everyone is so friendly to the others. I saw a lot of new faces like your secretary but also familiar faces."</p>
<p>"We hired a lot of people since the last time you visited me. I think it was over a year ago."</p>
<p>Jaina gave him a surprised look. "A year? Really?"</p>
<p>"I believe so."</p>
<p>"Time passes so quickly these days."</p>
<p>Arthas chuckled. "It does indeed." He wrapped an arm around Jaina's waist and pulled her closer to him. The colour of Jaina's cheeks didn't change at all when Arthas put his hand on her lower back, right above her rear. "How are you doing, babe?" he asked after he placed a kiss on her cheek.</p>
<p>"I'm fine. What about you?"</p>
<p>Arthas shrugged. "Could be better, to be honest. There is much work to do and not enough time. I wouldn't say that you came in an inopportune moment but...I'm lacking time. Nevertheless, I can still make time for you if you want."</p>
<p>Jaina bit her bottom lip softly and gave her husband a small nod. "I need to talk to you about something in private."</p>
<p>Arthas averted his gaze and looked at Selania who still stood next to the door and regarded them curiously. She gave him an understanding nod and left the room quickly, closing the door behind her. Arthas went over to the door and locked it from inside, returning to Jaina a few moments later.</p>
<p>He sat down on the edge of his desk, pulling Jaina closer until she stood between his spread legs. He put his hands on her hips, caressing them softly. "So, what exactly do you want to <em>talk</em> about in <em>private?" </em>he asked with a small grin on his lips.</p>
<p>It took some effort for Jaina to not roll her eyes. "I didn't come to you to have sex with you in your office, Arthas."</p>
<p>Arthas tilted his head a little and raised an eyebrow. "For real? Then why did you say you want to talk to me in private?"</p>
<p>"Because I want to really talk to you in private."</p>
<p>"And I thought you were hinting about wanting to have sex with me. Too bad."</p>
<p>"You didn't really believe I would make all the way to your office just for sex, did you?" Jaina asked with a raised eyebrow.</p>
<p>Arthas shrugged. "Well...It's not that you didn't do that before."</p>
<p>"You still remember that?" she asked surprised.</p>
<p>He nodded. "How can I forget that day? Especially because Calia caught us. Well, she didn't see anything but I'm sure she put two and two together and realised what we have been doing in that storeroom for nearly an hour."</p>
<p>A blush crept onto Jaina's cheeks as she remembered everything. She clearly remembered that day as if it had happened yesterday. Nine years and Arthas had not forgotten that. Of course, he hadn't. Despite the limited space and the lack of light, it had been great.</p>
<p>Jaina cleared her throat eventually, trying to get serious again. The look that appeared on her face told Arthas that she was not in the mood for jokes or distractions. She was serious.</p>
<p>"If you didn't come for that reason, why are you here then? You never visit me at work without a reason."</p>
<p>"As I said before, I actually want to talk to you about something." She stepped away from Arthas, causing him to remove his hands from her hips. She already missed the contact but she knew she wouldn't be able to have a serious conversation with Arthas if she would stay so close to him. She wouldn't be able to fully concentrate as long as she would smell Arthas' strong masculine perfume, also the desire to tear his clothes off his body would be smaller at the same time if she would keep him at distance.</p>
<p>Arthas read the expression on her face. "It must be about something very important."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded without hesitation. "I have asked you about this issue several times, but you were always very tired and exhausted when you came home, so we couldn't really talk about it.</p>
<p>Arthas expression also became serious but he said nothing, signalizing his wife to continue.</p>
<p>Jaina took a deep breath before she began. "It's about our children and your job. Before you interrupt me, yes, I know that your work is very important to you, your co-workers and your company. I know that you are the one who holds everything together and that overtime working is the only way to stay afloat. I know how important this company is to you but in the past months, I got the impression that your work is more important to you than your family. Your children miss you terribly and so do I."</p>
<p>A slightly annoyed sigh escaped Arthas' lips. The expression on his face was unreadable as he parted his lips to say something but he pressed them together after a few moments, deciding to not say anything in return.</p>
<p>He knew that Jaina had a point. He knew that she was right about the fact that he was working too much. She was not right about the point that this work was more important to him than his family but he understood why she had the impression. He had to admit that such an impression was not unfounded and far-fetched.</p>
<p>He ran the tip of his tongue over his dry lips to moisten them. He was silent as he thought about her words and a reply. He straightened his back and stepped away from his desk, coming a little closer to his wife who didn't shrink back. "Look, honey. I know our children miss me as much as you do. I know they want to spend time with me every day. I know how important it is for young children to spend time with their parents.</p>
<p>I love spending time with them and with you of course. I miss them too. I miss bringing them to bed and cuddle with you until we both fall asleep. I miss all of you so much but... I need to work so hard to keep the company running. It's only a matter of time until things become normal again. The new employees arrived today and they are slowly getting into the work. It's only a matter of time until they can take some of the work off our hands. I'm sure about that."</p>
<p>"You've said that many times before," remarked the blonde woman.</p>
<p>Arthas sighed. "I can only repeat myself in this case. I don't know what else I can say to convince you that things are getting better. Give me a week or two and things will be normal again. I will come home in the early evening every day, play with the littles ones, help you making dinner and then bring them to bed and read a goodnight story for them. And then I will have time for you, my dear supportive and understanding wife."</p>
<p>Jaina had to admit that Arthas was still good with words. He knew what to say and how to use his charm to get what he wanted. But she wouldn't let him go so easily this time. She had a request.</p>
<p>"Most of your employees leave the building before eighteen o'clock, don't they?" she asked him.</p>
<p>"They do. Why are you asking?"</p>
<p>"I thought when most of your employees went home, why don't you go home as well and keep working from there. That way, you could have dinner with us and bring the little ones to bed. They could actually see you and spend some time with you, even if it is only a small amount of time."</p>
<p>"That's not a bad idea," Arthas said after a few moments. "Why didn't I think of that before?"</p>
<p>"I assume that is a yes from your side," Jaina concluded.</p>
<p>Arthas nodded. "You are right about that. I don't see anything that speaks against it. Well, I'm sure that I can better focus on my work while being in my office but I'm sure I will find a way to make it work."</p>
<p>"That's great," Jaina responded and stepped closer to Arthas.</p>
<p>Arthas approached her and put his hands on her hips, staring into her eyes. "I would do anything for you, my dear."</p>
<p>"And for the kids," Jaina reminded him.</p>
<p>Arthas' lips formed a smile. "And for the kids," he repeated.</p>
<p>One of his hands wandered to her rear and squeezed her left butt cheek, kneading it softly through the fabric of her skirt. Jaina cheeks reddened, she bit her bottom lip softly but did nothing to stop Arthas. She tilted her head to the right side as he began to kiss her jaw. She gave him perfect access to her neck, giving him the signal to keep going. Arthas didn't need to be told twice. He kissed her neck and even bit it softly, making sure he would leave marks that would still be visible the next few days. He took her earlobe between his teeth and bit it gently, causing a very quiet moan to escape her lips.</p>
<p>"Didn't you say that you have a lot of work to do?" Jaina asked as she felt Arthas' hand move from her rear to the area between her legs.</p>
<p>"I worked for hours without making a pause, I think I deserve some time to relax."</p>
<p>"Not sure if what you are planning to do allows you to relax physically," Jaina remarked with a teasing tone in her voice. "It will exert you instead."</p>
<p>"That's still fine," he whispered as he guided her over to the desk and sat her on top of it.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Jaina brought her knees to her head, pressing her thighs against her upper body as she pulled her panties from her ankles up her legs, over her knees and down her upper thighs to her most sacred place. She made sure that they sat right before she got up from the desk and stepped onto the room's floor again.</p>
<p>She didn't miss the smirk on Arthas' lips as she bent down to pick up her skirt that had been discarded on the floor earlier. She pulled the piece of clothing to her waist, closed the button and did the same with the buttons of her blouse. She left the three top buttons open, pulling a little hand mirror out of her handbag. She fixed her hair with a comb, reapplied her lipstick and put her glasses back on her nose. She turned to Arthas who tightened his belt, at the very moment, and gave him a wide satisfied smile. Arthas returned the smile but chose to say nothing to her.</p>
<p>They stared at each other and enjoyed the comfortable silence. Jaina remembered the conversation she had with Vereesa a few days ago. She remembered telling her she was afraid that Arthas no longer desired her sexually. She had been afraid that she would no longer be attractive enough for Arthas.</p>
<p>Now she smiled about what she had told her best friend. As it turned out, she had worried for nothing. Arthas still desired her after all these years, otherwise, they wouldn't have done it on his desk. Jaina was relieved that this fear didn't turn out to be true. The reason for her meagre sex life was not the fact that she was not attractive enough or not good in bed. The reason was Arthas and his long working days. He was often too tired to give his wife the attention she deserves.</p>
<p>But Jaina was positive that things would change as soon as Arthas would have less work to do. As soon as his new employees had familiarised themselves. It was only a matter of time until Jaina would have an actual sex life once again. She didn't need to do it every day or every second. Once or twice a week would already be enough for her. Once every two or three weeks was not enough for her. She was a human being after all. She had needs like every other human being, like every other woman or man.</p>
<p>Jaina had never done it with Arthas on his desk in his office but she had to admit she had enjoyed it much more than expected. It was nothing she would repeat even though the chances that they could get caught were pretty low. There were no windows anyone could look through and the door had been locked. She had no idea if anyone else had a key to Arthas' office, so she couldn't be sure there was no chance of them being caught. Nevertheless, the chance of them getting caught had given it an additional thrill. Jaina assumed that this thrill had made her feel so much better during sex.</p>
<p>Arthas stepped to Jaina eventually and put his left hand on her right hip, putting the other on the small of her back. He pulled her closer until their bodies met and enclosed the distances between their faces until their lips almost touched. Jaina could feel his hot breath on her lips but she could also feel her skin tingling just because of his touch. The area between her legs was still tingling even though they had just made love.</p>
<p>It seemed that her body was not satisfied yet but despite that, Jaina didn't plan to have a second round. She would love to but she knew Arthas had to work not to mention that she had to pick up her children from Vereesa's house and bring them back home. She had to make dinner for them, bring them to bed and there was also a stack of tests waiting for her. She wanted to correct at least half of it before the end of the day.</p>
<p>Jaina ignored the signals her body was giving her and just stared into Arthas' gorgeous eyes. She wondered whether he would kiss her or pull away eventually. He kissed her indeed. It was just a short kiss but it was good enough for Jaina's liking. She just loved feeling Arthas' lips on hers. She loved kissing and making out with him. She knew she couldn't do that right now but she was looking forward to doing that another time.</p>
<p>Arthas caressed his wife's well-formed butt one last time before he stepped away from her. "As much as I love spending time with you, I really need to get back to work."</p>
<p>Jaina nodded. "I understand that. Will you manage to come home for dinner?" she asked with hopeful eyes.</p>
<p>Arthas took a look at the Rolex on his wrist. "I would have to inform Uther and Calia that I'll leave and work from home. There must always be one who stays until the last employee has left because there must be one who closes all the doors."</p>
<p>"I'm sure one of them would stay longer if you ask them nicely. Both of them would do anything for you."</p>
<p>"You are right, honey. Not to mention that Falric and Marwyn wouldn't mind staying longer either."</p>
<p>Jaina gave her husband a bright smile. "I'm glad to hear that. The little ones will be very happy too. They really miss you."</p>
<p>A small amount of guilt could be seen in Arthas' eyes. "I know, J. I know. I'll try to be home for dinner every day if possible."</p>
<p>Jaina put a hand on Arthas' right cheek and caressed it. "I should leave now. You have work to do and I need to pick up our children from Vereesa's place. Text me when you will get home, so I know when to start with the preparations for dinner."</p>
<p>"I will, my dear," he said. He guided Jaina over to the door and opened it after he had unlocked it. Selania stood next to a desk that belonged to a female blue-skinned draenei. She was talking to her but immediately stopped and went over to her boss and his wife as soon as she realised that they had left office.</p>
<p>"Are you done talking?" she asked interested.</p>
<p>Arthas nodded. "We are. Would you do me a favour and escort my dear wife back to her car?"</p>
<p>"She doesn't need to do that," Jaina argued. "I'll find the way back alone."</p>
<p>Arthas looked at her. "I know, J. But Selania has to go to the ground floor because she has to wait for a guest that will arrive soon. She has to take the elevator anyway, so I don't see a reason why she shouldn't accompany you."</p>
<p>Jaina's gaze wandered from her husband to his secretary. She didn't miss the wide smile on her lips and the anticipation in her eyes. She was wondering why the other woman was so excited about escorting her. Or was it because she was looking forward to meeting the guest Arthas had mentioned?</p>
<p>She had no idea. Something seemed to be going on in Selania's mind and Jaina had the feeling that it was nothing good. She had no idea why she had this feeling but she had it for some reason and it didn't leave her, no matter how long she regarded the redhead.</p>
<p>Jaina nodded eventually and turned to Arthas, stepping on her tiptoes so that she was able to peck him on the lips. Arthas smiled at her but said nothing in response.</p>
<p>"I'll see you later," Jaina said to him.</p>
<p>"See ya, my love."</p>
<p>Jaina turned back to the dark-skinned woman who was still smiling at her. She didn't wait for Selania to make the first step, she did the first move and Selania followed her through the big office. Selania stayed close to her. Very close for a reason. She was so close that their shoulders almost touched when they walked. Jaina was wondering why Selania was doing that but she said nothing to her. She could tell her to stay away from her but she didn't want to be impolite, so she said nothing.</p>
<p>They didn't talk when they left the big office and followed the corridor to the elevator area. They stepped into the middle one and Selania pressed the button that told the elevator to bring them to the underground car park. Just at the moment the elevator's doors closed, Jaina felt something on the small of her back. She had no doubt that it was Selania's hand that rested dangerously close to her butt.</p>
<p>Jaina turned her head and gave Selania a questioning look. The other woman just stared forward, pretending that nothing had happened. Only when Jaina cleared her throat she turned her head to look at her. Even though Selania recognized the irritated look on Jaina's face she did nothing. Her hand still rested on Jaina's back and it didn't seem she would remove it if Jaina wouldn't do anything.</p>
<p>"Could you please remove your hand from my back?" Jaina asked calmly. She had no idea how she could remain so calm when another woman was almost sexually assaulting her. She was sure she would react differently if a man would touch her like that but that didn't mean she would tolerate what Selania was doing. She may be a woman but that didn't allow her to touch her like that. What she was doing was just wrong.</p>
<p>Selania's hand had rested on her back for far too long for Jaina's liking before the secretary had finally removed it. Selania didn't blush nor did she looked embarrassed, giving Jaina the impression that she didn't regret what she did. Jaina thought about approaching her but then she decided not to do that. She just hoped that the other woman would never do that again. She wouldn't remain so calm next time. If Selania would ever dare to touch her again without her permission, she would get louder and maybe even tell Arthas about her behaviour. Touching anyone like that was not acceptable.</p>
<p>Fortunately for Jaina, Selania didn't touch her again. She could only hope the redhead had learned her lesson. She sighed out in relief when the elevator finally reached its destination. She waited until the doors opened and stepped out, crossing the bordering corridor quickly. She reached the door before Selania and opened it before she could do it. She nearly collided with another person when she stepped into the car park.</p>
<p>"Sorry," she said quietly to the man who managed to catch his briefcase at the last moment and prevented it from falling to the ground. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"I am," the man spat angrily. "How dare you scare me like that?"</p>
<p>Jaina raised an eyebrow at the man's impoliteness. She regarded him curiously but said nothing to him. The man was a high elf with long raven hair that reached to his shoulders. His grey-blue glowing eyes were narrowed and rested on her, his forehead showed a frown and his teeth were gritted. He wore a grey suit and grey leather shoes. Jaina had no doubt that he was a businessman. She didn't know the man, so she had no idea if he was one of Arthas' employees, clients or maybe the guest he had spoken about. She was wondering who he was and why he was so pissed.</p>
<p>It was Selania who answered Jaina's questions with her asking her. "Hello, Dar'Khan, you are earlier than expected."</p>
<p>The elf's gaze fell on Selania, his eyes wandered from head to toe and shamelessly rested on her breasts longer than necessary. "I left a little earlier because I expected the streets to be overcrowded, but it turned out that not many people take the streets at this hour. Usually, a lot of people drive home at this time."</p>
<p>Selania gave him a smile. "Now that you arrived earlier, we could chat a little before going to my boss. I..." She stopped speaking as Jaina cleared her throat loud enough to gain not only Selania's but also Dar'Khan's attention.</p>
<p>"I'm sure your boss wants to meet his guest as soon as possible. If you want to chat then do that after their meeting," Jaina said with a voice that didn't sound too strict. She knew it was not her company and Selania was not her employee, so she couldn't tell her what to do because she was not her boss. But she was Arthas' wife and she was certain that most employee would listen to her because of that. She didn't really have a reason to poke her nose in this matter but she still did it because she wanted Arthas home as soon as possible. The longer he would wait for his guest, the later he will get home. Jaina wanted to spend as much time as possible, so she wouldn't allow Selania to rob Arthas' precious time.</p>
<p>The elf tilted his head and regarded Jaina from head to toe. Just as with Selania, he didn't feel ashamed to ogle Jaina and take a closer look at her low neckline.</p>
<p>"And who are you to decide when Selania is allowed to talk to an old friend? Who are you to give her orders? As far as I know, only Mr Menethil is allowed to do that."</p>
<p>Jaina felt the anger boiling inside her. She bit her bottom lip hard, trying to put a poker face on without success. It was clearly visible that she was not pleased. "What about his wife?" she countered harshly.</p>
<p>Dar'Khan regarded her from head to toe again. "You are his wife?" he asked surprised. Doubt was clearly visible in his eyes.</p>
<p>"She is, Dar'Khan. It's fine, we will talk after your meeting with my boss."</p>
<p>Dar'Khan looked at his friend and then at Jaina, regarding her for nearly a minute. His gaze finally wandered back to the redhead. "Very well." He muttered a short apology and then walked past Jaina, leaving the car park.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for his behaviour, Mrs Menethil. Dar'Khan is usually not so unfriendly. It seems he has a bad day," Selania said to her.</p>
<p>Jaina sighed. "It's fine, Selania. I don't want to befriend him, so I don't really care."</p>
<p>"I'll tell him to show you more respect next time. Promised."</p>
<p>"That would be great."</p>
<p>"Is there anything else you need, Mrs Menethil?" Selania asked politely.</p>
<p>Jaina shook her head. "No. Just keep your hands off me in the future. That's all I'm asking for."</p>
<p>Selania gave her an understanding nod. "I will. Promised."</p>
<p>"Have a great day, Selania. Make sure my husband won't leave the company too late. Please remind him that I'll be waiting for him."</p>
<p>"I will. Have a great day."</p>
<p>Jaina gave her a small nod and turned around, walking to her car. She unlocked the driver's door and got in the car. She put her handbag on the driver's seat and put the key in the keyhole, starting the engine. She left the car park without hesitation, heading to Vereesa's house to pick up her children.</p>
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